Bolangir: The district police on Monday arrested as many as 33 persons for their alleged involvement in the illegal cough syrup business here. Most of the arrestees belong to Bargarh, Cuttack and Bolangir and parts of Uttar Pradesh.
According to the police, they are part of an organised inter-State racket involving illegal procurement, transportation and selling of Eskuf Syrup from Cuttack to Bolangir. Apart from the arrests, the police have recovered 12,960 Eskuf Syrup bottles estimated at Rs 35 lakh.
A country-made pistol, 17 mobile phones, an SUV, two pick-up vans, a carriage vehicle, two motorcycles, cash of Rs 7,500 and gold ornaments were seized from their possession.
The accused were active in Balangir and bordering districts and trading Eskuf syrup from Cuttack to Balangir by importing the same from Kolkata, West Bengal. They were apprehended on the basis of inputs gathered during the investigation into the cough syrup trade.
They are also involved in similar offences in neighbouring districts, the police said and added that further investigation is underway.
