Bhopal, May 29 (IANS) The Special Task Force (STF) of the Madhya Pradesh Police on Friday claimed to have uncovered a well-organised illegal narcotic cough syrup network operating from a residential colony in Bhopal after a three-hour overnight raid led to the seizure of nearly 75,000 bottles of banned syrup worth around Rs 1.5 crore.

The operation was carried out at Dobra Patel City Colony in the Gandhi Nagar area from Thursday midnight until early Friday morning.

Officials said the accused were allegedly manufacturing and repackaging intoxicating cough syrup inside a house to avoid suspicion.

Ten people, including three minors, were detained during the raid. STF teams also seized more than 700 cartons, bottles, packaging material and machinery allegedly used in the illegal operation.

Confirming the development, STF chief Rahul Kumar Lodha told IANS that the racket had been active for a considerable period and supplies were being sent to several locations.

“The network was operating in a systematic manner. The cough syrup was being distributed in Bhopal as well as adjoining rural areas. The accused changed wrappers and labels on bottles before supplying them in the market,” Lodha said.

The raid was conducted on the basis of specific intelligence inputs received by the STF over the past few weeks.

During the search, STF teams found large quantities of cough syrup bottles stored in different rooms of the house.

Samples have been sent for testing to determine the chemical composition of the seized material, Lodha said.

According to preliminary information, a single bottle of the syrup was being sold for nearly Rs 200 in the illegal market.

Investigators are now trying to establish ownership details and identify others linked to the network.

Lodha said the STF is focusing on tracing the complete supply chain and financial links behind the operation.

The accused arrested during the raid were produced before a court and remanded for further interrogation, Lodha said.

“Our investigation is now aimed at identifying the source of raw material, the distribution channels and all individuals connected with the racket. More arrests are expected in the coming days,” he added.

–IANS

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