Mumbai: The Anti-Narcotic Cell of the Mumbai crime branch has arrested a 27-year-old man and seized 7,900 bottles of cough syrup worth Rs 23.77 lakhs. The syrup named 'Codeine phosphate' has become an addiction for people in slums across Mumbai and its suburbs.
The police said the Ghatkopar Unit of ANC received information about a deal that was about to be made in Shivaji Nagar, Govandi and Mankhurd area.
Accordingly, on September 17, the ANC team headed by Lata Sutar, senior police inspector, ANC, Ghatkopar laid a trap near a public toilet on Ghatkopar-Mankhurd link road, near Zakir Hussain Nagar, Mankhurd. "Our team detained Mukesh Rajaram Chaudhari, 27 and found 200 bottles of the cough syrup worth Rs 60,000. He was about to supply the bottles across peddlers in Shivaji Nagar, Govandi and Mankhurd area," said Datta Nalawade, deputy commissioner of police, ANC.
The police said Chaudhari is a resident of Barapada in Virar. "The Ghatkopar ANC team on September 18, raided Chaudhari's godown in Virar and seized 7,700 cough syrup bottles. The team seized 7,900 bottles overall, worth Rs 23.77 lakhs," added Nalawade.
The Ghatkopar ANC had registered a case under sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act. "The accused was produced in court and remanded in police custody till September 22. He confessed to supplying the cough syrup bottles across Mumbai and suburbs and also admitted to having stocked it at his godown in Virar. We are trying to establish the factory for the outlet, where he was getting the bottles from," said Lata Sutar, senior police inspector, ANC.
The syrup named 'Codeine phosphate' has become an addiction for people across the slums of Mumbai. "People often develop a cough after consuming drugs such as hashish and marijuana, which is why they start taking the cough syrup. This eventually becomes an addiction. The bottle is sold for Rs 150 to 300 depending on the customer and market rate," added a police officer.