Odisha police bust banned pharmaceutical drugs racket

Bhubaneswar, Aug 30 (UNI) Police in Odisha’s Bargarh district today arrested eight suspected drug peddlers and made a seizure of a huge cache of pharmaceutical drugs, banned under the provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS), 1985, said Superintendent of Police, Bargarh, Prahlad Sahai Meena.

Huge cache of Codeine-laced Onerex cough syrup, a banned substance under Narcotic Drug and Psychotropic Substance (NDPS), pentazocine injection (group of drug called narcotic analgesics), Nitrosun-10 tablets (sedative not recommended for children below 18 years of age) were seized from the possession of the arrested persons after interception of a luxury car en route from Gaisilat to Padampur, Meena informed.

The Bargarh police have launched ‘Operation Garuda’ to strike against criminals and curb organised crime of all forms, including drug peddling to ensure the safety of people and make the western district a drug-free zone, he said.

Acting on a tip-off regarding illegal transportation of contraband pharmaceutical drugs, Padampur Police team conducted a raid and seized the contraband substances. The occupants of the vehicle were immediately apprehended and taken into custody.

During preliminary interrogation, the accused persons confessed to being actively involved in an illegal drug trafficking network, operating in collaboration with several associates.

Based on their confessional statement, multiple teams have been formed to identify and apprehend the other individuals involved in this illicit drugs trafficking.
Further investigation is underway, the senior police official concluded.