Bhubaneswar: On the fourteenth day of the Enforcement Special Drive, the Odisha Excise Department reported major seizures amounting to nearly Rs 1.45 crore, underscoring its intensified crackdown on the illicit liquor and narcotics trade across the state.
In a sweeping operation, officials registered 167 cases and arrested 40 persons. The enforcement teams confiscated 12,388 bulk litres of illicitly distilled liquor and 328 bulk litres of duty-paid liquor. Additionally, over 1,16,975 litres of wash were destroyed, and 5,720 kilograms of mohua flowers were seized. Twenty-one vehicles used in illegal transportation were also impounded.
According to an official press release, two NDPS (Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances) cases were registered during the drive. In a significant breakthrough, the Enforcement Intelligence & Enforcement Bureau (Southern Division) busted a trafficking racket near Balisira Chhak in Aska, Ganjam district. Six bootleggers from Kandhamal were arrested, and 50 kilograms of ganja were seized, along with an Innova vehicle, two Pulsar motorcycles, and five Android mobile phones. Authorities suspect the consignment was en route from Baliguda to Bhubaneswar and further arrests are anticipated.
In a separate NDPS case, enforcement teams recovered 85 grams of heroin, intensifying the department’s efforts to dismantle narcotics supply chains.
The Excise Department reiterated its commitment to a zero-tolerance policy against all forms of illicit trade and assured that the drive would continue in the days ahead with sustained intensity.
