Tripura Police and BSF seized 525 bottles of banned Eskuf cough syrup near the Matinagar border area in Sepahijala district. Valued at around ₹5.25 lakh, the consignment was allegedly intended for smuggling into Bangladesh. Sonamura Police have launched an investigation to identify the owner and trace possible cross-border smuggling links.
Security forces in Tripura have seized 525 bottles of banned Eskuf cough syrup from the Matinagar border area of Sepahijala district, in a joint operation involving the Border Security Force (BSF) and Sonamura Police. The recovered consignment is estimated to have a black-market or destination value of around ₹5.25 lakh.
The seizure was carried out late Thursday night after security personnel received information about a suspicious consignment near the India-Bangladesh international border. Personnel from the 81st Battalion BSF, deployed at the Matinagar Border Outpost (BOP), were conducting routine patrolling when they noticed suspicious plastic sacks concealed in bushes close to the border fencing.
The BSF personnel immediately informed Sonamura Police about the suspected contraband. A joint team subsequently reached the area and recovered three sacks containing a large quantity of Eskuf cough syrup bottles.
Following the required legal formalities, the seized consignment was brought to Sonamura Police Station for further investigation.
Sonamura Police Station Officer-in-Charge Tapas Das confirmed the recovery of 525 bottles of the banned cough syrup. He said the estimated value of the seized consignment in the black market or at its suspected destination was approximately ₹5.25 lakh.
Police suspect that the cough syrup had been deliberately concealed near the international border before being moved across the border into Bangladesh. Investigators are now working to establish who owns the consignment, where it originated and who was responsible for transporting or receiving it.
“We have started an inquiry to identify the actual owner of the seized consignment and determine who is involved in the smuggling network,” Officer-in-Charge Tapas Das said.
Police have also indicated that further legal action will be taken against those found to be involved in the illegal trade, depending on the evidence collected during the investigation.
The operation was led by personnel of the Matinagar BOP under the BSF’s 81st Battalion, with Sonamura Police providing assistance in the recovery and subsequent investigation.
The latest seizure has once again brought attention to efforts by security agencies to prevent the movement of banned cough syrups and other contraband through Tripura’s sensitive international border areas. Investigators are also examining whether the recovered consignment is connected to a wider organised smuggling network operating along the India-Bangladesh border.
| Also Read: NITI Aayog Member Meets Tripura CM, Discusses Development Priorities |
With the investigation underway, authorities are expected to examine the route used to transport the cough syrup and identify individuals involved in concealing the consignment near the border.
