Sambalpur: 20 persons arrested with over 5000 cough syrup bottles

Sambalpur: As many as 20 persons were arrested by Bareipali police in Odisha’s Sambalpur district with a total of 5,100 cough syrup bottles on Tuesday.

The arrested persons have been identified as Lokesh Padhan, Mahindra Kisan, Prabhat Bhoi, Amod Karali, Manish Singh, Trinath Behera, Dalu Tirki, Jitendra Sahu, Satyajit Nag, Chintu Suna, Sanjib Meher, Raja Das, Satyam Swain, Durga Deep, Basant Guru, Sudarsan Rout, Hasan Raza, Papi Bibhar, Amana Deep and Anil Yadav.

Bareipali Police Station inspector Radhakanta Barik informed that acting on a tip-off the police team conducted a raid at Mesinkata Chowk in Bareipali while attempting to sell the cough syrup.

The Police inspector also informed that two vehicles, in which the 5,100 bottles of Eskuf cough syrup (each bottle of 100 ml) packed in 17 sealed plastic jerry packets were being carried, were seized during the raid.

Meanwhile, all the arrested accused persons have been forwarded to the court after a case under the NDPS Act was registered against them. Besides, further investigation by the Bareipali police to ascertain the involvement of others in the racket is underway.