Bhubaneswar: The Excise Department seized 150 grams of brown sugar during a raid at a savouries (mixture) factory in Bhatapada, located in Begunia Block of Khordha district, on Thursday. The contraband, estimated to be worth ₹15 lakh, was allegedly being trafficked from the premises.
Acting on a tip-off, Excise officials raided the factory and recovered the illegal narcotic. A businessman and an employee have been arrested in connection with the case and are currently under investigation.
However, the arrests have sparked tension outside the Khordha Excise Office, with several local villagers protesting the action. They have alleged that the brown sugar was planted as part of a conspiracy to frame the factory owner.
Excise officials have not yet responded to the villagers’ claims, but said that further investigation is underway to trace the source and network behind the alleged narcotics trafficking.
This incident highlights growing concerns about drug trafficking activities in semi-urban and rural areas of Odisha, where commercial spaces are increasingly being misused for illegal trade.
