In a major success against narcotics smuggling, police at the Ambassa Naka check post in Tripura's Dhalai district seized approximately 340 bottles of banned Eskuf cough syrup concealed inside a Hyundai car during a routine vehicle inspection.
Police sources said that, the search initially led to the recovery of around 100 bottles of the cough syrup hidden inside the vehicle's wheels. A more thorough inspection of the car resulted in the recovery of several more bottles concealed in different compartments, taking the total seizure to nearly 340 bottles.
The driver of the vehicle, identified as Akhilesh Roy, a resident of Patna in Bihar, was arrested on the spot.
Police also seized the Hyundai car bearing registration number AS01 DN 4909. During the search, officers recovered an illegal number plate bearing registration number WB02 AK 2526, raising suspicion that the vehicle may have been using a fake registration to evade detection.
Preliminary investigation revealed that the vehicle was travelling from Dharmanagar towards Agartala. During interrogation, the name of a person from Kumarghat also surfaced in connection with the case, police sources said.
A case has been registered, and Ambassa Police have launched a detailed investigation to ascertain the source, destination and wider network involved in the illegal transportation of the contraband.