Odisha: Over 26,000 bottles of Codeine syrup seized in Bhubaneswar; one arrested

Bhubaneswar (Odisha) [India], August 2 (ANI): The Odisha Crime Branch has seized over 26,000 bottles of Codeine-based cough syrup in a major crackdown on the illegal drug trade, officials said on Saturday.
One person has been arrested in connection with the seizure, and nearly Rs 25 lakh in cash has also been recovered.
Speaking to ANI, Crime Branch DGP Vinaytosh Mishra said that a raid was first conducted at a private courier office, Trackon Courier Pvt Ltd, near LIC Colony Badam Badi, where a large consignment of prohibited Codeine Cough Syrup was found.
DGP Mishra said, "A raid was conducted at Trackon Courier Pvt Ltd located near LIC Colony Badam Badi, where a large amount of Codeine Cough Syrup was seized. A person, Anshuman alias Raja, was arrested. On the basis of his statement, another raid was conducted at Mancheswar Industrial Estate, Bhubaneswar."
He added, "A total of 26,658 bottles of Codeine Syrup were seized from both places, worth about Rs 60 lakhs... When we raided his residence, around Rs 25 lakhs in cash were found there, which he earned from this business."
Authorities said the investigation is ongoing and more raids could be expected in the coming days.
Earlier this week, the Odisha Crime Branch solved the OTET-2025 question paper leak case, linked to the examination conducted by the Board of Secondary Education (BSE), Odisha.
Six individuals involved in the incident have been arrested, announced DGP, Crime Branch, Binaytosh Mishra, during a press conference on Thursday.
The police have seized electronic devices, including mobile phones and leaked question papers, from the accused. Preliminary investigations indicate that financial transactions related to the leak were conducted through digital payment platforms, according to Odisha police.
The bank accounts of the accused are currently under scrutiny, and further investigation is ongoing to apprehend other individuals involved, DGP Mishra added.
Odisha Crime Branch DGP Vinaytosh Mishra reported that the OTET exam, scheduled for July 20, was postponed after the question paper was leaked. A case was registered, and an investigation led to the arrest of six individuals, including a data entry operator from the Board of Secondary Examination office who accessed and circulated the paper.
Speaking to ANI, Odisha Crime Branch DGP, Vinaytosh Mishra said, "On July 19, the President of the Board of Secondary Education noticed that the exam, which was scheduled to be held for OTET on 20th, the question paper had been leaked. So the exam was postponed..."
He added, "We registered a case, and a team was formed. An investigation was initiated throughout Odisha. We found that the main leader is a data entry operator who is working in the Board of Secondary Examination office. He somehow found access to the laptop in which the question paper was kept. From there, he circulated it to different persons...All 6 people have been arrested."
Further investigation is ongoing to identify additional culprits. (ANI)