The Excise Department has seized a massive consignment consisting of over 2,400 bottles of cough syrup and 1,000 intoxicant tablets from a pickup van at Hatibari in Odisha’s Sambalpur district.
One person has been detained in connection with the operation as authorities dig deeper into the supply network.
According to Ashwini Kumar Mallick, Deputy Superintendent of Excise, Sambalpur, the illegal shipment was being transported from the Jagatpur area of Cuttack district and was slated for distribution across the Sambalpur and Bargarh districts.
The operation was mounted following a tip-off received by the department. “Two days ago, Sadar police had seized cough syrup bottles. Based on information that another huge consignment was on its way, teams comprising officials from the Redhakhol and Dhama Excise units were deployed to keep a strict watch,” Mallick said.
Dramatic Highway Interception
The breakthrough came when officials spotted the suspected Bolero Pik-Up vehicle near Redhakhol and signalled the driver to halt. Defying instructions, the driver accelerated in an attempt to escape. A high-speed pursuit ensued, with the Excise team chasing down and ultimately cornering the vehicle in the Hatibari locality.
Upon searching the van, enforcement officials recovered approximately 2,400 bottles of cough syrup alongside a significant stash of Nitrazepam tablets.
Preliminary interrogation revealed that the driver was operating under the influence of an intoxicant. He confessed to sourcing the contraband from Jagatpur, with plans to split the haul evenly between Sambalpur and Bargarh for local distribution.
While the identity of the detained individual has been withheld pending further legal formalities, the Excise Department confirmed that investigations are ongoing to dismantle the broader network, identify the primary suppliers, and trace the intended local recipients.
