The Special Task Force (STF) of Odisha Crime Branch has registered 75 cases, including 27 Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) cases so far this year and arrested 133 accused persons in this connection.
Of the detected cases, 31 are related to wildlife, three to Arms & Ammunitions Act, four to fake Currency, five to Australian coke, hard coke, Chromite and coal, two to Codeine based cough syrup while two are Cruelty to Animal.
Among the arrested persons, one is from Uttar Pradesh, two each from Rajasthan, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Bihar, and three from West Bengal.
In the 27 NDPS cases, the STF has seized approximately 22 kilograms of brown sugar, over 2524 kilograms of ganja, 202 grams of cocaine, 517 grams of opium, and cash amounting to over Rs 65 lakh.
Movable and immovable properties worth more than Rs 12.85 crores of drug traffickers have been seized and forfeited in NDPS cases which have been approved by competent authority, Kolkata.
Around 22 kilograms of brown sugar and 38 quintals of ganja have been destroyed in the designated incinerator after being certified by courts and following all due procedures and pollution guidelines.
In the wildlife cases, the STF has seized 14 leopard skins, one Royal Bengal Tiger skin, one leopard skin, nine live pangolins, 22 kilograms of pangolin scale, 14 elephant tusks, two leopard teeth, 29 leopard claws, and 46 live wild parrots.
In the arms and ammunition cases, the STF has seized 14 firearms, 60 ammunitions, and eight magazines.
In fake currency cases, the STF has seized counterfeit notes worth Rs 47,43,100.
In cases related to Australian Coke, hard coke, chromite and coal, the STF has seized 338 tons of hard coke, 72 tons of coal, 730 tons of Chromite, and 31 tons of Australian coke.
In cases related to Codeine based cough syrup, 1920 bottles have been seized by the STF.
In cases related to cruelty to animals, 189 cattles have been rescued by the STF.
STF as a nodal agency also monitors and guides the district police in NDPS cases. The Odisha Police has seized over 1162 quintals of ganja, over 47 kilograms of brown sugar, and over 40,000 bottles of Codeine based cough syrup. Seizure of ganja by Odisha Police is one of the highest in the country.
Properties worth more than Rs 33 crores have been forfeited. This is the highest forfeiture of properties till date in NDPS cases.
The achievement of destruction/disposal of 658 quintals of seized ganja and 27 kilograms of brown sugar has been appreciated by the Orissa High Court.
A total of 23,724 acres of illegal cultivation of cannabis have been destroyed in the 2021-22 crop year. This is the highest destruction of illegal cultivation in the country.