Nagaland Police have seized 19,760 bottles of suspected codeine-based cough syrup during a raid on a warehouse in Dimapur, officials said.
The seizure was made from a locked warehouse located on Jain Temple Road in the Marwari Patti area following intelligence inputs regarding the alleged storage of pharmaceutical products.
A team from the Suburban Police Station carried out the operation after repeated attempts to contact the tenant of the warehouse reportedly went unanswered.
Police said the search was authorised and supervised by the ACP (West) and was conducted in the presence of independent witnesses. The entire procedure was also digitally recorded through the e-Sakshya platform.
During the search, police recovered a total of 126 cartons containing suspected codeine-based cough syrup.
Of these, 101 cartons contained Bescod Cough Syrup, accounting for 16,160 bottles. Another 25 cartons contained EB-DYL Cough Syrup, with a total of 3,600 bottles.
Apart from the suspected codeine-based cough syrups, police also recovered several other pharmaceutical products from the warehouse. Officials said the products were not properly accounted for and would be examined and verified as part of the investigation.
A suo motu case has been registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.
The investigation is now focused on identifying the people operating the warehouse and tracing the source, movement and possible distribution network connected to the seized pharmaceutical products.
Police are examining how the large quantity of cough syrup reached the warehouse and whether the consignment was intended for distribution within Nagaland or was part of a wider supply network.
Codeine-based cough syrups are used legally for certain medical purposes, including as cough suppressants. However, their sale and supply are regulated, and such medicines can only be handled and dispensed through authorised channels, including licensed pharmacists and medical practitioners.
Officials said further action would depend on the findings of the investigation and verification of the seized products. The police are continuing efforts to identify all those connected with the storage and suspected supply of the pharmaceutical consignment.
The case remains under investigation, with authorities working to establish the full supply chain and determine whether others were involved in the alleged illegal storage and distribution of the suspected codeine-based cough syrups.
