Man held for selling codeine-laced cough syrup

Lucknow: Police and drug department officials busted an illegal narcotics racket operating from a cold drink shop near the Indo-Nepal border in Bahraich district on Friday and arrested a history-sheeter with codeine-laced cough syrup bottles during a raid.

The joint operation was carried out at a cold drink shop located near Kevalpur turn in Rupaidiha town, which borders Nepal.

The team, led by drug inspector Vinay Krishna and Rupaidiha SHO Ramesh Singh Rawat, seized 15 bottles of 100-ml codeine-based cough syrup from the shop during the search operation.

Police arrested the accused, identified as Om Prakash Soni (50), a resident of Saketnagar. Officials said the accused is a listed history-sheeter and has several criminal cases registered against him at different police stations.

SHO Ramesh Singh Rawat said an FIR has been registered against the accused under relevant sections of the NDPS Act and the Drugs and Cosmetics Act.