Balasore: Notorious inter-state drugs smuggler Munna Khan alias Mir Rahat Ali Khan today managed to give cops a slip while his mother was arrested by Excise sleuths on charges of carrying out illegal trade of narcotics.
According to sources, a joint team from Cuttack Excise Intelligence (Central Range) and Balasore Police conducted surprise raids at Munna’s house at Sasanbad village in Jaleswar police limits area today morning.
Even though, Munna managed to escape by the time police arrived at the spot, police arrested his mother, Amina Bewa. Excise sleuths also seized brown sugar weighing around 310 gram worth over Rs 31 lakh from her possession.
Briefing mediapersons, Central Excise Inspector, Jagdish Samal said the cops had been keeping close scanner on drugs syndicate run by Munna and his mother over last one month.
Narrating on Munna's modus operandi, Samal said that he used to traffic brown sugar from Midnapore area of West Bengal and sell the narcotics in Balasore, Cuttack, Bhubaneswar and other parts of the State.
“After receiving directions from Excise Commissioner Anjan Kumar Manik and based on the intelligence inputs of Excise Deputy Commissioner, we raided Munna's house at Sasanbad village and seized 310 gram brown sugar from one Amina Bewa. Her son Munna is an infamous drugs trader and we are trying to track him,” informed Samal.
"Most of the time, Munna operates the syndicate by staying out of the State while his mother runs the business in Odisha so we are making our all efforts to nab him," Samal added.
Sources said, as many as 40 cases of different crimes are pending against Munna at different police stations in Odisha and West Bengal.
In 2008, IPS Jaswant Jethwa had also arrested Munna for carrying out illegal drugs trade in the area.
Asked, Amina however said, "One of my relatives, Sharif used to visit my home and he had given the brown sugar to keep with me. Munna is not involved in all these things.”