Police have arrested two persons for illegal possession and sale of codeine phosphate in Maharashtra’s Thane district, an official said on Sunday.

Cough syrups with codeine phosphate have an intoxicating effect on nerves and they are widely abused due to easy availability at pharmacies. The government has banned codeine-based syrups.

The police on Saturday apprehended the two persons in Kachore village in Kalyan area and seized 192 bottles of codeine phosphate from their possession, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Kalyan, Atul Zende said.

They were carrying the substance illegally with the intent to sell it, the official said.

A case has been registered against the duo under relevant provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, he said.

Authorities have initiated an investigation to trace the supply chain and identify other potential links in the illegal drug trade, police said.