STF seizes brown sugar worth around Rs 1 Crore in Odisha’s Cuttack; drug peddler arrested

Cuttack: A team of Special Task Force (STF) of Odisha Crime Branch yesterday seized brown sugar, the value of which in the open market would be around Rs 1 crore, from a man near Kalibiri bridge in Tigiria locality under this police limits of Cuttack. STF arrested the man in this connection today.

Based on intelligence input, a raid was conducted by a team of STF, Bhubaneswar near the bridge in the evening against illegal dealing and possession of Narcotic Drugs leading to the arrest of the drug peddler identified as Suryakanta Mantry (32), son of Trilochan Bisoi from Bindhanima in Tigiria.

During a search, the contraband item weighing 1.022 Kg and other incriminating materials were recovered and seized from Suryakanta’s possession. The accused person could not produce any valid authority in support of possession of the brown sugar, for which he was arrested, a press release stated.

Suryakanta will be forwarded to the court of Additional Sessions-cum-Special Judge in Athagarh. In this connection, the STF PS case (No-26, Dtd-01.11.2023, U/s 21(c) of NDPS Act, 1985 has been registered.

“The value of seized brown sugar in the open market would be around Rs 1 crore,” an STF official said.

A detailed investigation is underway and a special drive against smuggling of narcotics is also on.