Bhubaneswar cocaine smuggling: Peddlers have links with international drug mafia, says CB

The arrested cocaine peddlers, Ravi and Sunny Kumar, have links with international drug mafia and it helped them bring the psychotropic drug into India and the State, revealed the Odisha Police Crime Branch ADG, Sanjeev Panda on Wednesday.

The Crime Branch (CB) reportedly uncovered the link after analysing their mobile phones and call record details.

Divulging more information about the syndicate, Panda said, “It was revealed during the interrogation that the duo had connections with some foreign drug mafia in countries like Switzerland, China, France, United States, Thailand and South Africa. They were in regular touch with the drug peddlers and middlemen in those countries.”

“They used an already established drug distribution network in Odisha. However, for selling cocaine, they eyed the high-net-worth individuals, particularly the tourists scheduled to arrive in Bhubaneswar for the Hockey World Cup in 2023,” Panda added.

Following the interrogation, it was found that apart from Bhubaneswar, the duo had visited Puri to prepare groundwork to establish a distribution network.

The Special Task Force (STF) of the Odisha Crime Branch had seized cocaine weighing 202 grams from both the peddlers in Bhubaneswar on April 13. The market value of the seized contraband was said to be more than Rs 50 lakh.

As per the information provided by the Crime Branch, Ravi used to buy the drug from Delhi and sold it in many states, including Odisha. He has a hotel in Rajasthan and a travel agency in Delhi as well. Reports said he had been dealing with drugs since the Commonwealth Games in Delhi.

Sunny Kumar used to stay at Salia Sahi in Odisha Capital and targeted the upper-class youths in the city’s star hotels to sell his drug.

The Narcotic Control Bureau (NCB) had also joined the interrogation by the CB, given the sensitivity of the case.