Excise Department Seizes Over 12 Kg Ganja and 700 Bottles of Cough Syrup in Khariar; One Arrested

Khariar, June 13,: In a major crackdown on illegal narcotics trade, the Excise Department conducted a raid at Sahu Pada in Khariar town of Nuapada district and seized a huge quantity of ganja and intoxicating cough syrup. One person was arrested and later forwarded to court. According to official sources, acting on reliable intelligence regarding illegal drug trafficking in the area, a special Excise team carried out a raid on Friday between 6:30 AM and 8:00 AM. During the operation, the team apprehended Nitesh Sahu (19), a resident of Ward No. 5, Sahu Pada, Khariar, while he was allegedly storing and selling contraband substances from his shop. During the search, officials seized: 12,100 grams (12.1 kg) of ganja & 700 bottles of intoxicating cough syrup, each containing 100 ml, amounting to a total of 70 litres. The accused was taken into custody and subsequently produced before the court under the relevant provisions of law. The successful operation was conducted under the supervision of Nuapada District Excise Superintendent Sanghamitra Pradhan. The raiding team was led by Excise Inspector Hirabati Acharya and included Khariar ASI Alekh Putel, Brundabati Bhua, Mobile Squad SI Debashish Sridhar, along with other Excise personnel. The Excise Department has reiterated its commitment to taking stringent action against illegal narcotics and intoxicant trafficking in the district and appealed to the public to provide information about such activities to help maintain law and order.