Sambalpur, Oct. 14 -- The Sambalpur police on Monday seized 5,100 bottles of Eskuf cough syrup and arrested five persons during a raid at Mesinkata Chowk.

According to police sources, Inspector Radhakanta Barik, Officer-in-Charge of Bareipali PS, received a tip-off around 2:30 PM about a pick-up vehicle allegedly transporting the cough syrup from Cuttack. Barik and his team intercepted the vehicle and detained five accused, identified as Lokesh Pradhan alias Akash, Mahindra Kisan alias Mathu, Prabhat Bhoi alias Titu, Amod Karali, and Manish Singh.

During the operation, police seized two vehicles and 17 sealed plastic jerry packets containing the banned cough syrup bottles, each of 100 ml capacity.

Preliminary investigation revealed tha...