Bhubaneswar: In a statewide crackdown on illegal trade and smuggling of narcotic-laced cough syrup, Odisha police arrested 118 people and seized 73,181 bottles of the intoxicant contraband. According to the Odisha police headquarters, a total of 61 cases have been registered so far. The Special Task Force (STF), Bhubaneswar, played a pivotal role in the crackdown, seizing the single highest consignment of 26,658 bottles of illicit cough syrup.

District-wise, major actions were carried out in Western Odisha. Sambalpur Police arrested 66 people, followed by Bargarh with 64 arrests, Bolangir (23), Subarnapur (7), Sundargarh (6) and Keonjhar (6). Police officials said the figures reflect the sustained efforts to dismantle drug trafficking networks across the region.

Sambalpur police registered 13 cases and seized 19,908 bottles, Bargarh police registered 17 cases and seized 12,856 bottles, Bolangir police registered 12 cases and seized 5,468 bottles. Similarly, Subarnapur police registered six cases and seized 451 bottles, Boudh police registered four cases and seized 1,886 bottles.

Investigations suggest an inter-state network with the illegal syrups often sourced from outside Odisha and distributed locally through various agents and possibly medical stores using fake prescriptions.

Director General of Police Yogesh Bahadur Khurania commended all the district units and the STF for their coordinated efforts and significant achievements. He said similar operations will continue and stringent action will be taken against all those involved in the narcotics trade.