East Jaiñtia Hills police recovered 4,135 bottles of the banned Phensedyl cough syrup inside an overturned tanker truck.
The truck bearing registration NL-01-AH-2246 went off the road and plunged into a gorge at Umtyra village along the national highway 6 on November 17.
However, the banned drug was recovered today by police following an enquiry conducted from the Bharat Petroleum Transport Office.
Superintendent of Police Jagpal Singh Dhanoa said, following the accident, the driver identified as Shakeep Sheik who was trapped, rescued and taken for medical attention had stated that the tanker was loaded with diesel and the documents of the vehicle were found from the cabin. Further on checking the documents, the owners name and address was different from the e-challan App.
Dhanoa said that no records from the refinery were available that the vehicle was loaded with fuel (diesel). “While ascertaining the content inside the tanker, something suspicious were seen in the hidden chamber of the tanker. The independent witnesses were called at the PO and in their presence and with the help of gas cutters the metal sheets of the tanker were removed from the hidden chamber and Phensedyl cough syrup bottles were recovered,” he said.
Preliminary test gave positive for codeine and all formalities as per NDPS Act were observed and seized.
The driver was apprehended and a case was also lodged the Khliehriat police station under sections 279/337/338/427 IPC R/w Sec 22(c )/29 NDPS Act.
