In a major anti-drug trafficking operation, the Cuttack Excise Department seized heroin worth approximately Rs 25 lakh from two locations in the city and arrested two men connected to the illegal trade.
Acting on a tip-off, excise officials raided Deulasahi Chakka under Bidanasi Police Station limits, arresting Chandan Behera with 112 grams of heroin. Officials also confiscated a Bullet motorcycle used to transport the contraband. Behera was reportedly waiting to sell the drugs when the raid took place.
In a separate raid at Nimpur Road under Jagatpur Police Station, officers arrested Biswaranjan Swain, a Deulasahi resident, recovering 130 grams of heroin from him.
Both men were medically examined and produced in court. Police are investigating further to dismantle the drug network operating in and around Cuttack.
This operation follows a previous seizure on May 6, when excise officials confiscated 223 grams and 292 grams of heroin from two individuals in Manguli during routine patrols.
In related news, a joint team from the excise department and Commissionerate Police raided several betel (paan) shops near Maharishi College, Bhubaneswar. These shops were suspected of involvement in drug smuggling activities following public complaints.
Authorities have reiterated their commitment to intensifying anti-narcotics drives and urged citizens to report any suspicious activity related to drug peddling.
