Bhubaneswar: The Excise Department intensified its crackdown on illegal liquor and narcotics during the fifth and sixth days of its ongoing Special Enforcement Drive, registering 421 cases and seizing contraband worth ₹2.17 crore across the state. The special drive, which began on December 20, is aimed at curbing illicit trade in liquor and drugs.
According to official data released by the department, 163 persons were arrested during the two-day enforcement operations. Among the cases registered, six were booked under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. The enforcement teams also seized 22 vehicles used for transporting illegal substances.
The seizures included 18,924 bulk litres of illicitly distilled liquor and 748 bulk litres of duty-paid liquor, along with a large quantity of raw materials used in illegal brewing. Officials recovered 2,14,110 bulk litres of fermented wash and 23,300 kilograms of gur wash, indicating the scale of illicit liquor production being targeted during the drive.
In addition to liquor-related seizures, the department also recovered narcotic substances, including 8 kilograms of bhang, 29 kilograms of ganja, and 382 grams of brown sugar.
Excise officials said the Special Enforcement Drive will continue in the coming days as part of sustained efforts to check illegal liquor production, trafficking and drug abuse, and to maintain law and order across the state.
