Jharsuguda: In a significant blow to illicit drug operations, the Badmal Police successfully confiscated codeine-based cough syrup worth more than ₹1.2 crore and apprehended two main operatives, marking an important achievement for Odisha’s ongoing Nashamukt Abhiyan campaign.
The operation resulted in the recovery of 23,640 bottles of Wincerex syrup, which contains codeine phosphate and triprolidine hydrochloride.
Acting on reliable intelligence, a specialized police unit intercepted both a truck and an accompanying SUV near a fly ash brick manufacturing facility in Tumbekela, within Badmal police jurisdiction, around 11 am on Monday. Following required procedures in the presence of an Executive Magistrate and independent witnesses, officers thoroughly searched the vehicles, uncovering 197 sealed cartons containing 100-ml bottles, totaling 2,364 litres, which exceeds the commercial quantity limit set by the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.
The individuals taken into custody have been identified as Mohammad Ahsan Ahmed, 38, from Darjibigha in Bihar’s Aurangabad district, and Rijwan Ansari, 28, hailing from Aliganj in West Bengal’s Bardhaman district. Additionally, police confiscated ₹2.44 lakh in cash, an Apple iPhone 16, an OPPO A5 Pro mobile phone, and the two vehicles used for transporting the illegal shipment.
“During questioning, the suspects disclosed that the shipment originated from Jagannathpur in Chaibasa, Jharkhand. The total value of the seized drugs exceeds ₹1.2 crore. The suspects were presented in court,” stated Jharsuguda SP G R Raghavendra.
Initial interrogations indicated that the duo obtained the commercial stock from Jagannathpur in Chaibasa, Jharkhand, without appropriate documentation or authorization, intending to distribute it unlawfully across regional markets for significant profit. Both have been charged under Sections 21(c) and 29 of the NDPS Act, 1985, and have been remanded to judicial custody.
The SP further mentioned that investigations are ongoing to trace the shipment’s origin, analyze the entire interstate supply chain, identify the intended distribution points, and apprehend other accomplices involved in the network.
