No person has been arrested till date in connection with the seizure of this contraband. It is suspected that the truck was coming from Manipur via Silchar and was on its way to Guwahati. All the recovered goods including the truck were seized under the provisions of the N.D.P.S Act, 1985.

In a similar incident, the officers of Customs Headquarter Preventive Unit, Shillong seized 27,100 bottles of Phensedyl New Cough Linctus, a Schedule – H drug concealed under gunny bags of rice from one truck bearing registration number AS-01AC-2138 at 12th Mile, Khanapara, Ri – Bhoi district which was valued at Rs. 25,22,950. The consignment of Phensedyl was destined for Agartala, Tripura.

It may be mentioned here that the cough formulations containing codine phosphate viz Phensedyl New Cough Linctus and Recodex Cough Syrup are illegally exported from the Tripura sector of the Indo – Bangla border and moreover, these are in high demand in Bangladesh where they are used as alternative drugs. It was learned from the Deputy Drugs Controller Authority, Government of Tripura, Agartala that the State Government of Tripura has not produced any cough formulations for the last twenty years for hospital use.

Till the first quarter of the financial year 2010 – 11, the Shillong Customs (Preventive) Commissionerate has affected seizure of items valued at a total of Rs. 15.63 crores.