Truck Driver and Handyman Jailed for Cough Syrup Smuggling

A driver and his assistant from Kanpur were sentenced to 12 years in prison for smuggling banned cough syrups. The Tripura court also fined them Rs 1 lakh each. Acting on a tip-off, police intercepted their lorry at Bishalgarh bypass, discovering nearly 48,000 bottles of the illegal syrups.

A court in Tripura's Sepahijala district handed a 12-year prison sentence to a truck driver and his handyman for smuggling banned cough syrups on Thursday.

Additional District and Sessions Judge Debasish Kar also imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh on each of the culprits.

The arrest followed a tip-off that led police to chase and intercept a lorry registered in Uttar Pradesh at the Bishalgarh bypass on June 4 last year. Authorities discovered 47,984 bottles of banned cough syrups inside the vehicle, according to prosecutor Gautam Giri. The individuals, Ankuj Sukla, the driver, and Rajendra Singh, the handyman, were subsequently arrested.

(With inputs from agencies.)