Excise officials led by Ashok Kumar Satpathy, Superintendent of Excise had conducted an anti-drug drive in the entire Puri district, including the city, to make the Nabakalebar Rath Yatra free from drunkards and other addicts. Excise Commissioner Prasanta Kumar Senapati had issued an order in this regard prior to the beginning of the Nabakalebar rituals.
Excise Superintendents of neighbouring districts like Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur and Angul, Intelligence officials, armed police and magistrates had participated in the drive. During raids, contrabands worth `19 lakh and two motorcycles were seized while 206 cases were registered. A large number of drug peddlers were arrested and forwarded to court during the period. About 20,000 liters of country liquor, an equal quantity of country-made foreign liquor, hemp, marijuana, opium and corex bottles were seized, informed Satpathy.