Odisha CB STF raids Bhubaneswar railway station over parcel-based smuggling network

The Odisha Crime Branch’s Special Task Force (STF) on Wednesday conducted extensive raids at Bhubaneswar Railway Station following credible intelligence inputs about illegal trafficking through railway parcel consignments.

Sources reported that an STF team, along with Railway Police Force (RPF) officials and sniffer dog teams, were deployed across the parcel-handling zones during searches aimed at locating narcotics, liquor ingredients and other hidden contraband.

Reports added that the enforcement wing specifically targeted illicit trade occurring through parcel channels. The raids are being conducted after intelligence pointed to illegal intoxicant trade happening through railway parcels.

Liquor, Drug Raw Material & Wildlife Contraband Under Lens

The STF suspects that parcels are being used to transport supplies for spurious liquor manufacturing, narcotic substances and materials disguised as everyday goods. Investigators are also probing the movement of illegal wildlife derivatives, including ivory tusks and pangolin scales, which are often concealed under false commercial labels in bulk freight.

Search teams scanned stacked parcels one by one, while trained K9 units examined luggage bays, parcel crates and sealed cargo bags awaiting dispatch.

Recent Ganja Seizure Highlights Smuggling Pattern

The crackdown follows a major seizure at the same railway station last month, when the Government Railway Police (GRP) arrested an individual from Bihar’s Nalanda district.

Acting on reliable intelligence, GRP and Railway Protection Force (RPF) allegedly caught the accused with 30 kilograms of ganja, sourced from Phulbani, concealed inside his luggage. The contraband was seized, and the youth taken into custody as investigators began tracing the wider supply chain.

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Meanwhile, STF officials have indicated that the current operation is part of a broader state-level tightening on transport-linked smuggling routes. As of the last reports, searches at the Bhubaneswar Railway Station remain underway, with follow-up raids expected depending on the evidence gathered.