1.07 lakh bottles of banned ESkuf cough syrup (Rs 5.40 crore) seized from a train at Jirania on October 15, with smaller consignments (90,000 + 17,000 bottles) nabbed shortly after.
Formal letter to authorities demanding arrests and a railway probe; nationwide letter campaign launched to the Railway Minister to halt drug transport facilitation.
Key kingpin arrested by Crime Branch; smuggling suspected for Bangladesh market, raising alarms over youth addiction and border vulnerabilities.
Against the growing menace of drug trafficking in Tripura, the Tripura Pradesh Youth Congress has penned a strongly worded letter to top authorities, demanding the immediate arrest of all culprits behind the recent seizure of over 1.07 lakh bottles of banned cough syrup valued at Rs 5.40 crore. The contraband, identified as the notorious ESkuf brand – often misused as a recreational drug by youth – was intercepted from a goods train at Jirania railway station on October 15, highlighting alarming lapses in border security and rail transport oversight.
The Youth Congress, led by its vocal state president, has accused the state government and railway officials of turning a blind eye to the syndicate's operations, which allegedly funnel narcotics toward Bangladesh via clandestine routes. "This is not just a seizure; it's a wake-up call for systemic failure," the letter states, urging the Railway Minister to launch a high-level probe into how such massive consignments evade detection. In a parallel move, the organization has kicked off a statewide letter-writing campaign targeting the ministry, vowing to intensify protests if arrests don't follow within days.
Tripura Police have already notched a partial victory, with the Crime Branch nabbing a key kingpin linked to the operation just days after the bust.
