Sambalpur: Anti-Drug Drive Launched Ahead of Sital Sasthi; 7 Peddlers Caught with Huge Quantity of Narcotics

Anti-Drug Operation Launched for Sital Sasthi Festival

Sambalpur: To ensure a peaceful Sital Sasthi festival, Sambalpur police have launched an anti-drug operation. As part of this campaign, Dhanupali Police conducted raids at two locations and seized a large quantity of illegal substances. They arrested seven accused and also seized a car, a Bullet motorcycle, and several mobile phones.

First Raid Near Sarla Chowk

During the first raid near Sarla Chowk, police stopped a suspicious car and conducted a thorough search. They discovered 42 litres of country-made liquor, 48 bottles of cough syrup used as an intoxicant, 800 ml of adulterated intoxicating liquid, 4 strips of narcotic tablets, and 4 mobile phones. As the individuals inside the vehicle failed to provide any legal documents for possessing these items, police arrested Gyaneswar Mahakud (20), Amulya Maharana (28), and Mohit Behera (19) from Putibandh; Raju Mahanand (25) from Dumerpada under Sasan Police limits; and Janmejay Pradhan (29) from Sikrapali. Police later confirmed that Amulya had 9 previous cases registered in various police stations, while Raju had 10. Following this, Dhanupali Police filed a case and forwarded all five accused to court.

Second Raid in Khaliabandh Area

In the second raid, police targeted Khaliapali Ambaburei under the Khaliabandh area and arrested Mahesh Kumar Naik (23) from Rasanpur (under Sadar police limits) and Prabin Gardia (24) from Talpali. During the operation, police seized 15 litres of country-made liquor, 38 bottles of cough syrup, 1 litre of adulterated intoxicating liquid, 4 strips of narcotic tablets, a Bullet motorcycle, and 2 mobile phones from the duo. After registering a separate case, police forwarded Mahesh and Prabin to court.

Accused Confess to Drug Mixing and Selling for Quick Profit

During questioning, the accused admitted that they were mixing various substances to create cheap narcotics and selling them to addicts for quick profit. The anti-drug operation is expected to continue in the lead-up to the festival.