Malda (WB), Aug 21: Five persons were injured in firing by BSF personnel during an altercation with villagers in Malda district after they tried to stop the smuggling of cough syrup to Bangladesh, police said today.

Three Border Security Force (BSF) personnel were also injured in the brickbatting by the smugglers. A group of people were trying to smuggle to Bangladesh a particular brand of cough syrup which is used by some people as an intoxicant, at Par Baidyanathpur village yesterday night.

Police said a group of people was trying to smuggle the cough syrup and the BSF personnel of Shobhapur border outpost (BOP) challenged them. The smugglers pelted stones at the border guards injuring three of them.

The men in uniform then chased the smugglers who fled to Par Baidyanathpur village. When the BSF men captured one alleged smuggler from the village, an altercation began with local people who claimed that man was innocent, police said adding that the BSF personnel then fired in the air and five persons were injured.

The condition of one of them was serious and he was admitted to the Malda Medical College and Hospital. Others were under treatment at a rural hospital, police said. The BSF personnel seized an unspecified amount of cough syrup from the border but none of the accused could be arrested.