BARGARH: In a drive against habit-forming drug traders, Bargarh police arrested as many as 60 persons involved in the illegal trade under different police limits in the district on Tuesday. According to police, on receiving reliable inputs regarding the transportation of contraband articles in pick-up vans from the district, Bargarh SP, Prahlad Sahai Meena, formed six teams at different places in the district to nab the accused. Subsequently, two vehicles were intercepted and stopped at the entry point of Bargarh Town which were loaded with huge quantity sealed and loose cough syrups and sedative drugs. The same was seized in the presence of an executive magistrate.
Police also arrested 10 persons who were travelling in the vehicle. Later, based on their interrogation, the police teams conducted raids at different places and apprehended the other accused besides seizing huge quantities of banned cough syrup. Over 7,800 bottles of adulterated cough syrup were seized by the police during the raids.
Reportedly, 16 accused persons were arrested from under Town police limits, 12 from under Paikmal police limits, 10 under Gaisilet police limits, eight under Sohela police limits, five under Ambabhona police limits, four under Barpali police limits, three under Bheden Police limits and two under Bhatli police limits in Bargarh district. The accused have been booked under different sections of the IPC besides the Drugs and Cosmetics Act and NDPS Act.