Absconding drug peddler nabbed by Odisha police from Uttar Pradesh

Bhubaneswar: A team of Special Task Force (STF) of Odisha Police, with assistance from their counterparts in Uttar Pradesh, arrested an inter-State drug peddler from Ghaziabad today. In a release, Odisha police informed that Gulbesh Khan alias Hazarat, the main accused in a drug peddling case, was apprehended after the two police teams raided his hideout. Hazarat was a resident of Shishgarh under Dharmapura police limits in UP’s Bareilly district and was on the run.

The accused has been produced in court and investigation is on, police said.

In April this year, the STF had nabbed two of his associates Ravi Singh and Sunny Kumar in the State Capital and recovered 202 gm cocaine worth `50 lakh from their possession. Investigation had revealed that both were both Rajasthan-based inter-State drug peddlers. The duo had been apprehended while peddling cocaine near Xavier Square in Bhubaneswar.

Police sources said Ravi owns a hotel in Rajasthan and used to sell cocaine in many areas in New Delhi. After entering the tour and travel sector in the national Capital during the Commonwealth Games, the idea of selling cocaine in rich areas of different states had struck him. Ravi is fluent in English and in touch with many foreigners, the Crime Branch STF had informed.

According to official sources, Ravi had contacted Sunny to spread the drug business in Bhubaneswar as the latter used to frequent the city often and had rented a place in Salia Sahi. “We will get more information about the modus operandi and clientele from the accused as this is the first seizure of cocaine in Odisha. If needed, they would be brought on remand for interrogation,” STF’s deputy inspector general JN Pankaj had said.