Country liquor smuggled in cold drinks bottle seized in Odisha; 3 arrested
The liquor was being smuggled illegally from Khunta to Bhubaneswar via a private bus
Bhubaneswar: Odisha police on Tuesday seized 180 liters of country liquor concealed in cold drink bottles from a private bus in Udala, Mayurbhanj district, and arrested three individuals in connection with the case.
The accused have been identified as Sanyasi Bisoi and Umakant Das, both from Bhubaneswar, and Putu Singh from Ambikadeipur in Udala.
According to sources, the liquor was being smuggled illegally from Khunta to Bhubaneswar via a private bus. Acting on a tip-off, Udala police intercepted the bus, named ‘Raja Babu,’ and discovered the contraband disguised as cold drink bottles.
Investigations revealed that the two traders from Bhubaneswar had traveled to Khunta to collect the illicit liquor, intending to transport it back to the city on a night bus. The accused disclosed that they were paid Rs 500 per bag of liquor successfully smuggled.
“I came here to collect the liquor. This is my first time engaging in smuggling,” confessed Sanyasi Bisoi, one of the accused.
Another accused, Umakant Das, claimed ignorance of the operation, stating, “I was unaware this was illegal liquor smuggling. They brought me here, and we were carrying the liquor in bags.”
Putu Singh, the third accused, admitted, “I was carrying one bag. For each bag, our owner paid us Rs 700-800. The owner, who is from our village, instructed us to deliver the bags to some persons in the Hi-Tech area in Bhubaneswar.”
No official comment from the police was made regarding the smuggling operation.