The Property Cell of the Thane Crime Branch arrested five individuals for allegedly possessing 147 boxes of Codeine phosphate cough syrup, containing 17,640 bottles worth over Rs 39 lakh, intended for sale in Bhiwandi.
The accused have been identified as Dilip Hariram Pal, 28, a resident of Kamatghar in Bhiwandi; Jyotiprakash Narayansi, 37, a resident of Dahisar in Mumbai; Dinesh Singh, 45, a resident of Rajasthan; Shayamsundar Mishra, 24, a resident of Varanasi; and Iqbal Sajan Shaikh, 40, a resident of Chambur in Mumbai.
According to the police, Pal, who transported the contraband from absconding accused Rahul Mishra, a resident of Varanasi, to Bhiwandi, was about to deliver it to the rest of the accused for sale. During interrogation, they confessed that they had been selling the contraband for profit.
When the police asked Pal for the bill for the Codeine phosphate, he failed to produce one. This contraband is used for addiction and is prohibited by law.
A case was filed by Mahesh Savant, a police constable at the Property Cell of the Thane Crime Branch, on January 31. The accused have been charged under the relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act and the Drugs and Cosmetics Act at Narpolil Police Station. According to the police, a total of 147 boxes containing 17,640 bottles worth over Rs 39 lakh were seized.
