Bhubaneswar: In a brazen escape, an opium mafia suspect managed to flee from police custody at Koida hospital in Sundargarh, where he was taken for medical examination.
The incident occurred on Saturday after the individual, along with another accused, was arrested in connection with a 9-acre opium poppy plantation in Pandupokhari.
The police and excise officials had destroyed the opium poppy crop, valued at over Rs 30 lakh, in Kundupukhuri village under Koira police station limits. Two individuals, believed to be residents of Jharkhand, were detained during the operation.
According to reports, the accused were taken to Koida hospital for medical examination, where one of them escaped despite police firing. The other accused is currently in custody.
Police are investigating the suspects’ links to a larger narcotics network and their role in the cultivation. The search for the escaped accused is underway.
