Pharma Firm Chief Gets NCB Summons

KOLKATA, 22 MAY 2018: The Kolkata zonal unit of Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has summoned the director of a wellknown pharmaceutical company on Tuesday to discuss the alleged diversion of a stock of cough syrup to be smuggled to Bangladesh.

Cough syrups containing codeine phosphate, a psychotropic substance, is banned in Bangladesh due to abuse by youngsters.

The ministry of home affairs closely monitors the stocks to check diversion but despite that thousands of cough syrup bottles are seized every year while being transported to areas close to the India-Bangladesh border. 

“The product of this company had earlier been seized by this zonal unit on various occasions en-route to Bangladesh. They were being transported illegally.

“While investigating these cases, we have come to know that some of the stockists of the company do not honour the directions issued by this enforcement agency. It is of prime interest that this matter has to be discussed at length with the officials of the company to streamline the chain of distribution of the cough syrup, as well as control its illegal trafficking. It is felt that the process of awarding stockist-ship has to be reviewed in view of diversion of such medicine for abuse,” the summons said.

According to sources, when the pharma company director meets NCB officers, he will have to keep ready all the details regarding appointment of stockists and the whole supply chain.

Investigators are also likely to show him samples of the seized bottles and seek answers on how they managed to reach the hands of smugglers and drug-peddlers.The Times Of India