STF seizes over 1 kg brown sugar in Balasore, 2 smugglers arrested

Balasore: In a major drug haul, the Special Task Force (STF) of the Odisha Crime Branch have seized over one kilo of brown sugar from Nayabazar vegetable market under Sahadev khunta police limits in Balasore district.

Based on a reliable information, the STF team conducted raid in the area and nabbed two drug peddlers in this connection from the vegetable market. Around one kilo 52 grams of brown sugar and other incriminating materials were recovered & seized from their possession. The two arrested drug peddlers have been identified as Ashok Kumar Behera son of Late Pravakar Behera of Nayabazar and Bijay Kumar Yadav son of Satyanarayan Yadav of Aaraa under Katihar police limits in Bihar’s patna.

The accused persons could not produce any valid authority in support of possession of such contraband materials, for which the accused persons were arrested and forwarded to the court of Special Judge cum District and Sessions Judge, Balasore.

A case has been registered by the STF in this regard under sections 21(c)/29 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985.

Earlier in October, The Commissionerate Police has arrested 10 brown sugar peddlers/dealers from different parts of Bhubaneswar in which five brown sugar smugglers were arrested from Khandagiri area, four were arrested from Tamando and one from Bharatpur area.

Since 2020, STF in the special drive against narcotic drugs has seized more than 43 Kg of Brown Sugar/Heroin and more than 86 quintals 81 kg (86.81) of Ganja /Marijuna and arrested more than 100 drug dealers/peddlers.

It is noteworthy that, the Commissionerate Police had launched operation “white spider” to nab the drug peddlers.

The commissionerate police on August 16 launched operation ‘White Spider’ to check the drug menace in Bhubaneswar, the capital city of Odisha. The police will target the entire chain including the suppliers, dealers and peddlers engaged in drugs trade.

All police stations had been sensitized regarding this drive. Members of the Special Squad along with the Quick Action Team (QAT) will carry out the operation.

The Commissionerate Police has also launched a dedicated WhatsApp number – 7077798111 and sought public cooperation to check the contraband menace.

Police said their main target are the drug peddlers who are supplying huge quantities of brown sugar to various districts via Bhubaneswar and Cuttack after procuring the same from Jaleswar and Balasore.

Also read: Brown Sugar Worth 1.3 Crore Seized From Odisha