Argus News - Bhubaneswar Airport Under Scanner after Odisha Link Found in International Drug Trafficking Racket

Bhubaneswar, Jan 21: A major breakthrough in the fight against narcotics has revealed Odisha’s connection to an international drug trafficking and money laundering racket.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) carried out raids across 26 locations in seven states, including Odisha, Goa, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala, uncovering a vast network of organized drug syndicates.

During the raids, officials seized ₹3 crore in cash, large quantities of narcotics, incriminating documents, and multiple digital devices. A suspected drug mafia operative was arrested in Delhi and placed under seven-day remand for interrogation. Investigators believe the syndicate was systematically operating across state borders, with Odisha playing a crucial role in the supply chain.

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Over 30 senior officers reached Bhubaneswar to conduct ground inspections, focusing on luggage carriers and baggage scanners. Authorities suspect Bhubaneswar airport has become a safe transit hub for drug traffickers, with repeated seizures of marijuana, synthetic drugs, and hydroponic weed in recent months.

Retired police officer Sarat Sahoo noted that traffickers are using routes from Thailand and Myanmar, with Bhubaneswar increasingly serving as a gateway for smuggling operations.

The ED, working alongside the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) and local police, is now targeting assets acquired through illegal drug trade. Their aim is to identify, freeze, and attach properties linked to the syndicate’s earnings.

Odisha’s Special Task Force (STF), the nodal agency for drug-related cases, faces mounting challenges as repeated incidents highlight the scale of trafficking operations.

Special Public Prosecutor of the NCB, MD Zia-ul Haque, emphasized that the recurring cases underline the need for stronger enforcement and coordination. “The STF is doing its job, but the repeated emergence of such cases shows the magnitude of the challenge,” he said.