A "hardcore" international drug trafficker was arrested from West Bengal by the Narcotics Control Bureau, an official statement said on Friday.

Gautam Mondal was held on November 13 from Kolkata, the federal anti-narcotics agency said in the statement.

"Gautam Mondal is a notorious drug trafficker having a history of gold smuggling. He has three known cases of DRI (directorate of revenue intelligence) for smuggling of gold worth crores of rupees.

"He had also clutched his claws upon the illicit trafficking of CBCS (Codeine-based cough syrups) routed through West Bengal and destined for Bangladesh," the NCB said.

Mondal, according to the agency, is a long-time "wanted habitual offender" in three narcotics cases being probed by the special task force of West Bengal too.

His arrest by the NCB, under the provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, comes in a case linked to the alleged smuggling of about 15,000 bottles of Phensedyl cough syrups to Bangladesh through the international border in West Bengal.

Phensedyl is a CBCS.

The NCB said Mondal is a "hardcore" NDPS offender whose modus operandi was to work in several layers.

He has trained several of his "henchmen" to work in pairs for a particular set of duties and keeps on changing them to avoid detection by drug law enforcement agencies, it claimed.

Mondal's arrest is a "significant blow" to the functioning of his drug trafficking organisation, the NCB probe found.

The agency is conducting an investigation to identify and apprehend his aides, even as his interrogation is being done to dismantle his organised crime syndicate.

Phensedyl is abused as an intoxicant in Bangladesh and the neighbouring country has sought India's help at various diplomatic forums in putting a complete stop to the menace which is spoiling the lives of its youth.

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