BY TC News Desk
Agartala, 7th July 2025: In one of the largest drug busts in recent memory, Tripura Police have seized a huge consignment of banned Escof cough syrup valued at over ₹1 crore from the Betbagan police checkpoint under Ambassa Sub-division in Dhalai district.
According to Dhalai Additional Superintendent of Police Uttam Banik, the contraband was discovered hidden in a 14-wheeler truck ostensibly transporting onions. “The vehicle, bearing registration number NL-04-D-9439, appeared to be carrying a shipment of onions. However, a thorough search revealed 190 sacks of Escof cough syrup concealed beneath the vegetable load,” he said.
Each sack reportedly contained 300 bottles, taking the total count to a staggering 57,000 bottles.
The seizure was made following a tip-off received by the police. Acting swiftly, personnel at the checkpoint intercepted the vehicle during a routine check. Senior officials including Additional SP Uttam Banik, Ambassa SDPO Nirupan Dutta, and Officer-in-Charge of Ambassa Police Station Nandan Das, along with the Duty Magistrate, conducted the search and confirmed the recovery of the illegal consignment.
“Two individuals travelling in the truck have been taken into custody. A case under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act has been registered, and an investigation is underway to trace the larger network involved in the smuggling operation,” the Additional SP added.
Escof, a cough syrup containing codeine phosphate, is widely misused as a narcotic and is banned in large quantities under the NDPS Act.
