📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Biswarup Ganguly
Health
West Bengal CM rolls over 200,000 cough‑syrup bottles in anti‑drug drive
✍️ The Hindu
🗓 03 Sep 2026, 09:03 AM
👁 3
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee led an anti‑drug operation in West Bengal, crushing more than 200,000 bottles of cough syrup suspected of being diverted for illicit use.
West Bengal's chief minister, Mamata Banerjee, personally operated a road roller to crush over 200,000 bottles of cough syrup as part of a state‑wide anti‑drug drive. The operation, carried out in the capital Kolkata, targeted stockpiles believed to be diverted for the illegal manufacture of narcotics.
State officials said the seized syrup, commonly sold over the counter, is often misused to extract codeine and other controlled substances. By destroying the bottles, the government aims to curb the supply chain that fuels drug abuse in the region.
The move underscores the state's intensified focus on curbing substance abuse ahead of the upcoming state elections, with law‑enforcement agencies conducting parallel raids on pharmacies and storage units.
No injuries were reported during the demonstration, and the authorities plan to continue similar actions in other districts to send a strong deterrent message to illicit traders.
State officials said the seized syrup, commonly sold over the counter, is often misused to extract codeine and other controlled substances. By destroying the bottles, the government aims to curb the supply chain that fuels drug abuse in the region.
The move underscores the state's intensified focus on curbing substance abuse ahead of the upcoming state elections, with law‑enforcement agencies conducting parallel raids on pharmacies and storage units.
No injuries were reported during the demonstration, and the authorities plan to continue similar actions in other districts to send a strong deterrent message to illicit traders.