Bhubaneswar, 13 January (H.S.): The Excise Department registered 920 cases including 36 cases booked under the NDPS Act and seized contraband valued at ₹5.38 crore during the twenty-first to twenty-fourth days of its ongoing Special Enforcement Drive, which commenced on December 20. In addition, hemp plants worth ₹3.21 crore were destroyed during enforcement action.

According to official data, 463 persons were arrested during the four-day operations. A total of 65 vehicles were seized in connection with the violations.

The seizures included 42,399 bulk litres of illicitly distilled liquor and 1,504 bulk litres of duty-paid liquor. Other recoveries comprised 3,83,742 bulk litres of fermented wash and 56,500 kg of gur wash, indicating continued large-scale illicit liquor production. Enforcement teams also seized 1,200 kg of mahua flowers and 15 kg of bhang.

Narcotics recovered during the period included 381 kg of ganja and 1,084 grams of brown sugar. In addition, four cases relating to illegal cultivation of hemp plants were booked — one each in Koraput and Angul, and two in Malkangiri.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Monalisa Panda