In Meghalaya Police Bust Illegal Cough Syrup Factory

Shillong: On Sunday, law enforcement agencies in Meghalaya cracked down on an underground factory engaged in the illegal production of cough syrups. The fake cough syrups, which contained the highly addictive substance phensedyl, were being smuggled into neighboring Bangladesh.
On Sunday, October 1, 2023, the local police, acting on a tip-off, conducted a targeted raid at a warehouse in Khliehriat, East Jaintia Hills district. SP Jagpal Dhanoa told mediapersons that the authorities unearthed 9,883 fake cough syrup bottles from inside the facility and an arrest was made in connection with the case.
Further investigation led them to an underground factory in Ummulong, where these syrups were being manufactured. The owner of the factory revealed that most of the fake cough syrups were being sent across the border to Bangladesh.
Police seized 600 bottles of alcoholic cough syrup, 10 bottles of flavoring agent, 11 bottles of food coloring, a large quantity of Phensedyl, and several volumes of pharmacology books.
The export included cartons, Phensedyl labels, bottles and caps along with a bottling machine and about Rs 11,000 in cash. After intensive interrogation of the two prime suspects, the police detained another person who is believed to be involved in transporting these illegal syrups to Assam.
Earlier in May this year, an NGO working in the West Garo Hills region raised questions on the taxation department of the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) after it found allopathic hawkers trading for Continued to provide licences to non-tribals (TNT) medicines.
The matter came to light when Durama Imbama Norimbi Dikkimbi A’chik Magiparang (DINDAM) NGO visited the weekly market at Garobadha in South West Garo Hills (SWGH) where they found three hawkers selling allopathic medicines to people.
The activist questioned the right of the GHADC to issue medical distribution licenses to hawkers without considering the impact it might have on the general public.