The state’s intensifying battle against the "white poison" trade reached the Assembly floor today. Excise Minister Prithviraj Harichandan, responding to a query by Salepur MLA Prashant Behera, revealed that 1,642 individuals have been arrested for brown sugar trafficking over the last three fiscal years.
The data highlights a concerning upward trend in drug availability and enforcement:
2022-23: 32.82 kg seized; 382 arrests.
2023-24: 34.42 kg seized; 448 arrests.
2024-25: 28.57 kg seized; 361 arrests.
2025-26: 40.27 kg seized; 451 arrests.
Districts including Khordha, Balasore, Cuttack, Puri, Bhubaneswar, Angul, and Jagatsinghpur have emerged as major trafficking hubs. Minister Harichandan emphasized that despite the addiction driving the youth "crazy," the Excise Department remains vigilant, conducting regular raids to dismantle these narcotics networks and curb the spread of brown sugar across the state.