The nation’s capital has matured over time and evolved into a centre for sports, IT, education, and entrepreneurship. Equally alarming is the success story’s flip side. The smart city is quickly gaining a reputation as a sanctuary for drug traffickers.
Drug traffickers still control the roost in the city despite frequent crackdowns, drug hauls, the arrest of peddlers, and anti-drug measures. The recent murder of a peddler under the jurisdiction of the Capital police station and the suicide of a drug addict in the Airfield police area have put the authorities in a bind.
According to experts, substance addiction is common among young people, particularly businessmen and students in management and college.
“Everyday, at least 7 to 10 addicts consult with me. Most of them are out-of-state college students. According to professor Suvendu Narayan Mishra, a doctor and de-addiction expert at SUM Hospital, “several women, including students and employees of a few beauty salons and clubs, too come me for withdrawal management.”
According to Mishra, the number of addicts visiting his hospital and clinic has surged as a result of police narcotics busts and arrests. He claimed that due to a lack of available medications, the majority of patients came to him with withdrawal symptoms, complains of bodily tremors, excruciating pain, sneezing, and seizure attacks.
“They went cold turkey since there wasn’t enough medication available to them. Since the price of brown sugar increased due to a shortage, many people were unable to buy it, Mishra added. According to sources, a 200 mg little sachet of brown sugar that cost about Rs 600 six months ago now goes for about Rs 1,500.
The peddlers, who usually reside in slums, are returning to the criminal trade, according to the police, because it offers them a quick profit. Additionally, they are recruiting fresh participants into the illicit industry. The districts of Malkangiri, Boudh, Gajapati, Angul, Sambalpur, and Rayagada have been the source of the peddlers’ ganja, while Balasore and West Bengal have been their sources of brown sugar.
“We have never opened fire with our weapons on drug dealers and peddlers. Records-breaking narcotics hauls are the consequence of ongoing enforcement efforts. Traffickers’ illegal businesses have been destroyed. In addition, chronic offenders who are released on bail have being monitored, according to deputy police commissioner Prateek Singh.
The Crime Branch’s Special Task Force (STF), which was earlier praised by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, claimed to have adopted a multifaceted strategy to combat the state’s drug problem. “We are destroying the drug dealers’ financial foundation. Recent seizures of the property of several drug cartels totaled over Rs 21 crore. The medications are destroyed even before the trial is over, according to J N Pankaj, the deputy inspector general for STF.
Prasanta Patnaik 
amfnews