Man with 400 bottles of cough syrup arrested in Kalyan

The accused, recently released on bail for a similar offence, was caught with the banned substance during a routine patrol.

THANE: A police team from the Zone 3 DCP’s office in Thane arrested a 33-year-old resident of Kalyan on Saturday for possessing 400 bottles of illegal cough syrup. The accused, recently released on bail for a similar offence committed four months ago under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, was caught with the banned substance during a routine patrol.

The accused has been identified as Mohammed Mataab Anis.(HT Photo/ Pramod Tambe)

The accused has been identified as Mohammed Mataab Anis. According to police officials, the special squad noticed Anis behaving suspiciously while on a motorcycle near Fortis Hospital in Kalyan (West). Upon interception, the team recovered around 400 bottles of Corex syrup from his possession.

Corex contains codeine phosphate, a controlled substance under the NDPS Act. The seized bottles are estimated to be worth ₹4 lakh. Codeine-based syrups are available only on a doctor’s prescription but are often misused for their narcotic effects. Police are investigating the source of the contraband and its intended recipients.

Assistant Police Inspector Anil Gaikwad of the Special Squad said Anis is booked under Sections 8(c) (produce, manufacture, possess, sell, purchase etc. of any narcotic drug) and 22(b)(c) (possessing commercial quantity of contraband) of the NDPS Act by the Bazarpeth Police Station in Kalyan. “The accused was produced before the Kalyan Court and has been remanded in police custody till November 4,” he said.

Last month, the Thane crime branch seized 3,618 bottles of similar cough syrup that were allegedly meant for distribution among drug addicts in Thane and Bhiwandi and arrested one man.