Cuttack: An illegal country liquor racket operating inside dense forest areas of Odisha’s Cuttack district was busted by the police and over 1,800 litres of hooch destroyed.
As per police sources, the illegal operation was unearthed in the forests located under the jurisdiction of Khuntuni police station limits in Athagarh area of the district.
Acting on specific information, police conducted raids across several forest pockets to curb the unlawful activity. The raid was carried out across multiple zones inclu
ding Dalua, Kansar, Baunsa Tangor, Sadaka Sahi, Padapathar, Patiasahi, Luni Padia an0d Khanduali under Athagarh division of Cuttack.
During the operation, police destroyed nearly 1,800 litres of fermented liquor that was being prepared for illegal sale. In addition, 40 litres of country liquor were seized from the site. The scale of the stockpile indicates a well-organized racket operating under the cover of thick forests to evade detection.
As police teams advanced into the forest, members of the liquor mafia fled the spot and abandoned their equipment and stock. Authorities believe the gang had been running the trade for months, supplying illicit liquor to nearby villages and towns.
A case has been registered and police have launched a manhunt to identify and apprehend the culprits. Investigators are probing whether the racket has links to larger networks operating across Cuttack and neighbouring districts.