THANE, Oct. 21 -- In a major crackdown on the illegal sale of narcotics-based cough syrups, the Thane Crime Branch on Thursday seized 3,618 bottles of cough syrup containing codeine, allegedly intended for distribution among addicts in Thane and Bhiwandi and arrested one person in connection with the case. Codeine-based syrups are legally available only with a prescription. According to the police, based on a tip-off, the police raided a godown in Wagle Estate on Thursday night, and recovered 3,618 bottles of the contraband worth Rs.6.31 lakh. The cough syrup contains codeine phosphate, a controlled substance under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, which is often misused for its narcotic effects. The accused has been identified as Mudabbir Gulam Ahmed Rais, 46, a resident of Bhiwandi. The police said, according to preliminary investigations, that the consignment was meant for illegal distribution in Thane district, especially in Bhiwandi, and targeted habitual users, adding that they suspect that several medical stores may be involved in the racket, selling them without prescriptions. Senior Police Inspector Salil Bhosale of Crime Branch Unit 5 said, "The accused failed to produce any license, purchase records, or supplier details for the stock during the raid," adding that he has been booked under sections 8(C), 22(C), and 29(B) of the NDPS Act, along with relevant provisions of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act. During interrogation, Rais confessed to having procured the cough syrup from a supplier identified as Jibran Divkar, who is currently absconding. A manhunt has been launched to trace Divkar, the police said....