711 bottles of banned cough syrup seized from secret compartment of auto in Assam's Sribhumi, driver arrested
Patharkandi police intercepted an autorickshaw at Moina Bypass and recovered 711 bottles of banned cough syrup from a secret compartment underneath. The seizure has led investigators to probe a suspected interstate smuggling network linked to Tripura.
- Aug 16, 2026,
- Updated Aug 16, 2026, 7:50 PM IST
- Police acted on a tip-off and mounted an operation at Moina Bypass
- Initial checks found nothing before officers discovered a hidden compartment underneath
- The syrups were packed inside several sacks stored beneath the autorickshaw
Police in Sribhumi's Patharkandi have foiled an alleged attempt to smuggle 711 bottles of banned cough syrup worth around Rs 8 lakh to Tripura.
The contraband was allegedly concealed in a specially constructed secret compartment beneath an autorickshaw. The autorickshaw driver, identified as Durudh Mia, was arrested, while the vehicle used for the alleged transportation was also seized.
Acting on a tip-off, a team of Patharkandi Police led by Officer-in-Charge Biswajit Deuri, along with SI Hirak Jyoti Das and other personnel, conducted an operation at Moina Bypass.
The police intercepted autorickshaw TR 02 B 4000, which was travelling from Sribhumi towards Tripura, and conducted a search. Although no contraband was initially found, police carried out a detailed search of different parts of the vehicle and detected a hidden compartment underneath it.
Several sacks were recovered from the concealed compartment. A subsequent search of the sacks led to the recovery of 711 bottles of banned cough syrup.
Preliminary investigation suggests that the consignment was allegedly being transported to Tripura. Police have launched a further investigation to identify other individuals involved and uncover the suspected interstate smuggling network.
