Bhubaneswar, Odisha : The Excise Department of Odisha continued its strong enforcement momentum on September 5, 2025, carrying out a series of statewide coordinated raids that resulted in massive seizures of illicit liquor and narcotics.
During the course of the operations, officials detected as many as 250 cases related to the illegal liquor trade and narcotics smuggling. A total of 115 persons were arrested, while 79 others were released under the provisions of Section 35 of the BNSS after preliminary action. The total value of the contraband and brewing materials confiscated has been estimated at ₹1.25 crore, underscoring the scale of the enforcement drive.
A major thrust of the crackdown was on narcotics trafficking. The department registered eight NDPS cases during the raids. These efforts led to the recovery of significant quantities of banned substances, including:
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156 kilograms of ganja
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200 grams of brown sugar
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25 kilograms of bhanga
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400 kilograms of mohua flower
Officials noted that such large-scale seizures highlight the growing challenge of narcotics trafficking and the department’s determination to dismantle the supply chain.
Alongside narcotics, excise officials targeted the illegal liquor trade. Massive quantities of country liquor and raw materials used for brewing were seized, including:
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12,954 BL of ID liquor
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1,07,460 BL of fermented wash
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13,285 kilograms of gur wash
These recoveries not only expose the scale of illicit brewing operations across Odisha but also demonstrate the effectiveness of the department’s intensified surveillance and field enforcement.
The Excise Department, in a statement, reaffirmed its zero-tolerance approach towards illegal liquor and narcotics. Officials stressed that the latest raids were part of a larger, continuous crackdown aimed at protecting the health, safety, and welfare of the people of Odisha.
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