Mahua Flowers Worth Over ₹1 Crore Seized in Odisha’s Keonjhar; 5 Arrested

Keonjhar: In a major crackdown on illegal trade, Excise officials in Keonjhar district seized Mahua flowers worth over Rs 1 crore and arrested five people during a raid at Banpar village on Monday.

The arrested individuals have been identified as Ramjee Kuanwar of Bihar, Gura Munda of Dhrupada village, Giridhari Naik of Janardanpur, Raja Munda of Judiasahi and Sabyasachi Munda of Katha Karanjia. Police are currently interrogating the accused to gather further information about the smuggling network.

Acting on a tip-off, a mobile excise unit apprehended the smugglers transporting the flowers from Raipur, Chhattisgarh, to East Singhbhum, Jharkhand.

The seized consignment weighed a staggering 280 quintals and was being transported in a 16-wheeler truck along with four Mahindra Boleros. The Excise team also confiscated the vehicles used in the smuggling operation.

“We received information about the illegal transportation of Mahua flowers and conducted a successful raid, apprehending five individuals red-handed,” informed Dibyaranjan Deep, District Superintendent of Police. “The arrested include drivers and helpers, while two other suspects managed to escape.”

Mahua flowers, though having various commercial uses, can be illicitly distilled into liquor, posing a threat to public safety.