Bhubaneswar: In a breakthrough, the Bhubaneswar Excise department Saturday busted an Illicit Distilled Liquor (IDL) racket during a raid in the Patia area here, arresting four persons and seizing 1,500 litres of IDL, officials said.
The accused have been identified as Aditya Nahak, 31, K. Dambaru Reddy, 24, Arjuna Behera, 25 and Chittaranjan Pradhan, 31. According to officials, Aditya and Reddy had arrived from the Ganjam area in a car loaded with IDL to supply it in the Sikharchandi and Jali Sahi areas.
Acting on a tip-off, the Excise department’s Special Mobile Unit raided the spot and apprehended the smugglers. Officials said one local youth was also arrested for procuring IDL from the accused and was caught red-handed.
Officials said local residents had earlier complained to the Excise department about the rampant sale of IDL in the area. Acting on these complaints and specific intelligence, the department carried out the raid and nabbed the smugglers.
The team seized 1,500 litres of IDL, two cars and a scooter from the spot. “Acting on a tip-off, we busted an IDL racket and arrested four persons. The accused were smuggling illicit liquor from Ganjam and selling it in the city,” said Excise Superintendent of Police Debashish Patel.
SP Patel said strict action would be taken against those involved in smuggling narcotics and illicit liquor. He added that the Excise department would continue such raids to break the supply chain and curb the illegal trade.