More smuggling of banned cough syrup Phensedyl, Yaba reported at India-B'desh border
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New Delhi: The smuggling of banned cough syrup and Yaba Tablets from Myanmar to Southeast Asia continues a challenge for Border Security Force, IANS reports.
Most recent recovery of 855 bottles of cough syrup Phensedyl from a Bangladeshi national on the India- Bangladesh border on February 21 points at its high incidence.
In Bangladesh, where it is smuggled to, the banned syrup is substituted as liquor. The problem is endemic, given the strict liquor ban in India's neigbouring country.
Bangladesh has banned Phensedyl, a codeine-based cough syrup, which the youngsters consume in large quantities to get a high.
Yaba Tablets contains a number of stimulants including caffeine and methamphetamine, which is otherwise known as crystal meth.
While Myanmar produces Yaba largely, Thailand is one of the largest distributors of it. Though it remains popular mainly in Southeast Asia, the drug has made its way to the US also.
Bengladeshi national, according to BSF officials that nabbed him, was allegedly involved in smuggling narcotics of late.
In early January this year. South Bengal Frontier of the BSF had seized about 1,000 bottles of Phensedyl in the border areas. Back in 2021, officials seized around 1.64 lakh bottles of the cough syrup.
On 16 February, the BSF recovered 597 bottles of banned Phensedyl elsewhere in South Garo Hills district of Meghalaya. BSP personnel arrested on February 14 two youths for smuggling the syrup near near the Hakimpur Border Out Post in North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal.
For transporting 60 bottles of cough syrup, two youths allegedly involved in it were to be paid Rs 500
"The BSF needs to coordinate with other law enforcing agencies to prevent the smuggling of Phensedyl not at the borders but also in the states through which the substance passes, and especially in the states where these cough syrups are manufactured," BSF Inspector General B.N. Singh (Retd) told IANS.
When the government in Thailand and Myanmar get strict on the smuggling, the smugglers take the routes in the Northeastern states like Meghalaya, Tripura, Mizoram to get their consignment routed to the Southeast Asian countries, the BSF official said.
