Sambalpur Excise Department seizes 2,400 Corex cough syrup bottles, 10,500 sleeping tablets; driver detained

Odisha Excise Department seized 2,400 bottles of cough syrup and 10,500 sleeping tablets from a pickup van during a raid near Hatibari on National Highway 55 in Sambalpur district on Wednesday..The driverf of the vehicle was reportedly detained in connection with the seizure.The vehicle was intercepted following information about a large consignment of cough syrup being transported in the area.As per reports, the seized items included Corex cough syrup bottles and Nitrazepam tablets. The consignment was reportedly brought from Cuttack and was intended for delivery in Sambalpur and Bargarh districts.Excise Teams Intercept Vehicle.Asit Kumar Mallick, Deputy Superintendent of the Excise Department, Sambalpur, said that the department had received information about the consignment after seizing 80 bottles of cough syrup from the Sadar Excise Station two days earlier.“Two days ago, our Sadar Excise Station seized 80 bottles of cough syrup. From that seizure, we received information that a large consignment was arriving. Based on this information, we formed two Excise teams by combining personnel from Redhakhol and Dhama and deployed them near Redhakhol to intercept the vehicle,” he said.As per reports, the deployed Excise team saw the vehicle and got suspicious. Meanwhile, the driver of the vehicle also tried to flee away with the vehicle upon noticing the officials. The team then chased the vehicle and managed to detain the driver near Hatibari.The officer said that the driver was found inside the vehicle and was in an intoxicated state. He was detained for questioning. He later reportedly admitted that he was transporting cough syrup in the van.“During the search, we seized 20 cartons containing 2,400 bottles of cough syrup. We also seized 10,500 Nitrazepam tablets,” Mallick said…