Mumbai: NCB arrests drug peddler for supplying Codeine cough syrup to street children

The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on Friday arrested a slumlord from Kurla Zakir Hussain Abdul Rehman Shaikh alias Bablu Patri for running a polydrug supply racket with at least 22 peddlers working under him in Mumbai.

According to the NCB officials, Patri supplied Codeine-based cough syrup to minor street children across south, east, and central Mumbai.

NCB has seized 20 kilograms of Codeine-based bottled cough syrup, 450 grams of Marijuana and 56 grams of Mephedrone from Patri’s residence in Bail Bazar locality in Mumbai’s Kurla.

Prior to this, Zakir Hussain Abdul Rehman Shaikh alias Bablu Patri has been arrested in connection with cases of assault and drug peddling. He even served one year in jail.

A senior NCB official said that Patri used 22 drug peddlers who would carry not more than one gram of MD at a time. The accused used a multi layers of peddlers for his operation.

Codeine-based cough syrups are scheduled under the NDPS Act and are not available unless a proper prescription is issued by a doctor. Abuse of Codeine-based cough syrups amongst street children has been rampant and Patri was supplying these syrups to children and other slum dwellers. Addiction to these syrups affects the brain, kidneys, liver and pancreas. It can also lead to seizures and death