Sambalpur: Police have busted a major illegal narcotic cough syrup racket in Sambalpur, seizing 5,100 bottles of Eskuf cough syrup and arresting 20 people.
The contraband was seized during a raid near Machinkanta Square under Bareipali police limits.
According to Superintendent of Police Mukesh Kumar Bhamoo, the raid was conducted after a tip-off about a pickup van transporting a large consignment of banned syrup from Cuttack to Sambalpur. Police intercepted a van and a car, seizing the bottles along with Rs 40,920 in cash, five mobile phones, and two vehicles.
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The prime accused have been identified as Lokesh Pradhan alias Akash, Manish Singh, Mahendra Kisan alias Mantu, Prabhat Bhoi alias Titu, and Amod Karali.
Police said the accused had been illegally procuring the syrup from Cuttack and distributing it across Sambalpur. An excise case (195/25) has been registered under Section 21(c)/29, and all the accused have been forwarded to court. The SP said efforts are underway to trace the kingpin behind the racket.
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