SAMBALPUR: In a major crackdown on illegal drug trade, Sambalpur police on Tuesday busted a racket involved in smuggling codeine-laced cough syrup. The operation led to arrest of 20 people and seizure of 5,100 bottles of the banned cough syrup from a pickup van under Baraipali police limits in the city.
SP Mukesh Bhamoo said at around 2.30 pm on Monday, Bareipali police received a tip-off about illegal transportation of cough syrup from Cuttack. The consignment was reportedly being moved in a pickup van for delivery at Mesinkata chowk. Acting swiftly, a police team raided the location and apprehended five persons when they were reportedly preparing to strike a deal.
He said police seized the vehicle along with 17 sealed plastic bags containing a total of 5,100 bottles of cough syrup worth around Rs 15 lakh, five mobile phones, and `40,920 cash. During interrogation, the accused revealed that they were planning to distribute the banned syrup in various slum areas of Sambalpur ahead of the Diwali festival. Subsequently, their accomplices were nabbed.
Bhamoo said police suspect that the primary source of the consignment could be Kolkata or Raipur. So far, 20 people have been arrested in this connection. “The seizure has exposed a wider network of drug peddlers operating in and around Sambalpur. Our teams are tracing the money trail and identifying other members linked to the inter-district supply chain,” he added.