Bhubaneswar: Odisha police carried out ‘Operation Gaja’ from August 25 to September 1 in five districts — Sambalpur, Bargarh, Jharsuguda, Balangir, and Subarnapur. The operation aimed to stop the illegal trade of liquor and drugs in the region.
During this week-long drive, police seized large amounts of illicit liquor and drugs and arrested many people involved in these illegal activities.
In Sambalpur, police recovered 47 litres of illegal distilled liquor. Bargarh reported an even bigger seizure of 126.4 litres of illegal liquor. These seizures show how common illegal liquor trade is in these areas.
The police also focused on drug-related crimes. In Sambalpur, they confiscated 3,000 bottles of cough syrup, worth about Rs 1.5 lakh. Bargarh police seized large quantities of cough syrup, ganja (marijuana), cash, and SUVs valued at several lakhs. One of the biggest drug busts happened in Balangir, where police seized 1,180.2 kg of ganja.
Many people were arrested across all five districts during the operation. The police said they will continue to work hard to stop the illegal sale of liquor and drugs and to keep the people safe.
