Rupsa: Balasore district has turned into a den for the drug mafia as the entire north Odisha has become vulnerable to country made and foreign liquor peddlers.
According to reports, the drug mafia rampantly pushes spurious liquor, ganja, brown sugar and other contraband by bringing them from West Bengal. Illegal trading in areas like Phuladi, Chasakhandi, Haladipada, Rupsa, Basta, Kadarayan and Jaleswar has gone out of control.
It is said, drug peddlers and liquor mafias are flourishing due to their nexus with local police and excise officials. They target youngsters of the district.
There are already licensed foreign liquor shops at Phuladi, Haladipada, Rupsa, Basta, Gandhi Chhak and Rajghat where liquor is taken in violation of norms.
Youngsters and criminals commit crimes like thefts, snatching and burglary in these areas under the impact of alcohol. Local police are said to be acting only on reported cases.
Residents of Chasakhandi, Haladipada, Rupsa, Basta, Kadarayan and Jaleswar have alleged that trading in brown sugar has substantially gone up in the area over past few months.
Moreover, Rupsa, Haladipada market places, an open ground near Basta fire-brigade office and abandoned houses near the railway south cabin are used by the mafias.
Notably, Deputy Superintendent of Police Manoj Kumar Rout had conducted raids at areas under Rupsa police limits and arrested Lambodar Behera September 9. Fifty gm of cannabis, five packets of brown sugar were seized from him.
A Crime Branch STF team had raided several locations and arrested brown sugar kingpin Sheikh Raja from Balasore September 16. Lots of information on his illegal network, accomplices and crime hideouts are coming to the fore, police said.
Reacting to this, Manoranjan Nayak,. a senior lawyer, said, “The local police and excise officials play a significant role in curbing illegal trading in drugs and liquor. Unfortunately, both the departments have become indifferent towards this issue.”
In a similar vein, Dr Manoj Kumar Sahoo from Balasore town said, “It is a matter of great concern that youngsters are falling prey to drugs. When they come to know about its adverse effects and realise their mistakes, it becomes difficult for them to come out of its clutch.”
On being contacted, Rout said, “We are poised to curb drugs trafficking in Balasore district and conduct raids on various locations, regularly. A special team constituted for the purpose will take stringent actions against spurious liquor and drugs peddlers.”
PNN
