9000 bottles of cough syrup seized in Sonepur; one arrested

A large consignment of cough syrup was seized and one person arrested by Rampur Police in Sonepur district of Odisha, while three other accused managed to flee, police said on Saturday. Two vehicles used for transporting the illegal consignment were also seized. 

Acting on specific inputs about cough syrup being transported in two vehicles, Rampur Police launched a dramatic chase and intercepted a pickup van and a car near Sahajbahal village under Rampur police station limits. The seizure was carried out in the presence of a magistrate.

During the search, police recovered around 9,000 bottles of cough syrup from the two vehicles. The seized consignment is suspected to have been illegally transported for misuse, officials said. One accused, identified as Gulshan Sahu of Satalma village in Bargarh district, was arrested in connection with the case. Three other suspects fled the spot and are currently absconding.

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Additional Tahsildar Biswambar Nath said he was deputed to verify whether due procedures were being followed during the operation. “I was asked to check if the investigation and procedures were being properly followed. With the permission of the Tahsildar, 9,000 bottles were seized from the two vehicles in my presence. And the further investigation is still going on,” he said.

Police have seized the vehicles and are conducting further investigation to trace the absconding accused and identify the source and destination of the cough syrup consignment.