Koraput: In a major crackdown on the illegal drug trade, Jeypore Town Police arrested three persons on Tuesday for trafficking pentazocine injections, a powerful prescription narcotic often misused as a recreational drug.
The accused—Manu Panda (27), Suraj Gupta alias Sonu (28), and Krushna Takri (26)—were apprehended near Dhepaguda and subsequently produced in court. A significant quantity of pentazocine injections, along with a scooter, was seized from their possession.
Acting on specific intelligence inputs, Sub-Inspector Rajendra Kumar Pangi had been conducting a covert surveillance operation for several days, monitoring the gang’s movements in plain clothes.
Investigations revealed that the trio had been sourcing pentazocine injections from a Bhubaneswar-based businessman and transporting the contraband using private buses.
Additionally, they were acquiring supplies from local medicine stores at discounted rates and reselling the drugs at inflated prices within Koraput and surrounding areas.
Police stated that this illicit trade has led to a disturbing rise in substance abuse among youth in the region. Alarmingly, several young women have also reportedly become users of these narcotic injections, raising serious public health concerns.
The police have intensified their efforts to dismantle the broader network involved in the supply chain and are expected to make further arrests based on ongoing interrogations.
