NCB Busts Interstate Drug Ring Supplying Bhiwandi, Seizes Over 15,000 Cough Syrup Bottles

The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) Mumbai has busted an interstate drug trafficking network supplying prescription opioids to Bhiwandi and Mumbai, arresting an operative and seizing more than 15,000 bottles of codeine-based syrup alongside 12,240 Tramadol tablets.

The operation commenced on August 8 when NCB officials intercepted a consignment and arrested an individual identified as N Shaikh in Mumbai. Investigators seized 1,080 bottles of Codeine-Based Cough Syrup (CBCS), weighing 108 kg, from his possession.

According to officials, the initial consignment was transported aboard a passenger bus travelling from Gujarat to Mumbai. The seized drugs were intended for distribution across Bhiwandi in Thane district, Mumbai, and neighbouring areas.

Interrogation of Shaikh led investigators to a distributor based in Gujarat. Following surveillance, an NCB team located the distributor's godown in Vadodara and conducted a raid, recovering an additional 13,938 bottles of CBCS and 12,240 Tramadol tablets.

During the search, officials found that batch numbers on multiple CBCS bottles had been deliberately tampered with to conceal the diversion of the pharmaceutical products. The agency also seized fake invoices and other documents used to facilitate the illicit diversion of the medicines.

NCB officials stated that Shaikh, who primarily conducted operations in the Bhiwandi area, had previously been arrested by Maharashtra Police in connection with another case under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. The Gujarat-based distributor is also wanted in prior NDPS cases.

The agency noted that while Tramadol and codeine formulations have legitimate therapeutic uses, their illicit diversion and non-prescribed consumption pose severe health risks, including chemical dependence and fatal complications. Further investigations into the supply network are underway.