Crackdown on illegal cough syrup network: Odisha Police seized over 73,000 bottles, arrested 181 persons

In a major crackdown on illegal cough syrup trade, Odisha Police have intensified operations to curb unauthorised sales and smuggling of the medication. Independent drives conducted over the past few days led to large-scale seizures and multiple arrests, official sources said on Thursday.

Also Read: Cough syrup worth over Rs 1 Crore seized in Odisha; illicit supply chain busted

A total of 61 cases have been registered, resulting in the confiscation of 73,181 bottles of cough syrup. As many as 181 persons directly involved in the illegal trade have been taken into custody. The Special Task Force (STF) in Bhubaneswar alone seized around 26,658 bottles, marking the largest haul in the State.

District-specific operations revealed significant quantities of illegal stock. Sambalpur district registered 13 cases with 19,908 bottles seized; Bargarh recorded 17 cases with 12,856 bottles confiscated; Bolangir had 12 cases and 5,468 bottles seized.

Smaller hauls were reported in Subarnapur district (6 cases, 451 bottles), Boudh (4 cases, 1,886 bottles), and Sundargarh (3 cases, 595 bottles).

Authorities have reaffirmed their commitment to taking stringent action against those involved in unlawful cough syrup distribution, aiming to dismantle the network and prevent further illicit trade.

Worth mentioning, previously, in a coordinated and massive operation across the Bhubaneswar-Cuttack twin cities, officials from the STF and Drugs Control Department had seized cough syrup worth over Rs 1 crore. The large-scale crackdown on July 31 had targeted multiple locations suspected of unlawfully distributing the medicines.

“The cough syrup bottles packed in large sacks were to be sent through a courier firm. We are probing to find out inter-state links, if any,” a senior STF official had said.