Drug smuggling in Odisha: Brown sugar worth Rs 1 cr seized, 3 held

Balasore: Continuing its crackdown on drug smuggling,  the Special Task Force (STF) of Odisha Crime Branch with the help of Balasore police yesterday seized brown sugar worth over Rs 1 crore in Sahadevkhunta area of Balasore district.

The cops also arrested  three drug peddlers- Sk Jamir alias Chhotu of Masjid Gali in Arada Bazar, Prabhat Sethy of Nayabazar and Jasobant Bagh alias Sukuras of Kasimela of the district.

Acting on intelligence input, a joint team of the STF and Balasore police conducted a raid  near Hotel Jyoti Sagar in Sahadevkhunta area and nabbed the trio. They seized the contraband item weighing 1.105 kg and Rs 85,680 cash from their possession.

“Since the accused could not produce any valid documents in support of the possession of such contraband items, they were arrseted and produced before District and Sessions Judge Court,” said an official statement.

The STF has registered a case under Sections 21(c) and 29 of NDPS Act, 1985 in this connection. Further investigation is underway.

Due to sustained drive in 2020 so far, the STF alone has seized 23.273 kg brown sugar and detected 25 cases arresting 47 drug peddlers, the statement reads.