In a major crackdown against narcotics drug trafficking, the Special Task Force (STF) of Odisha Crime branch seized brown sugar worth around Rs 2.50 crore and arrested three persons in this connection at Jaleswar market in Balasore district on Sunday.
Acting on an intelligence input, the STF team conducted a raid at a place in Jaleswar market and nabbed three peddlers besides seizing 2.402 kilogram of the narcotic substance. Other incriminating materials were also recovered from their possession, police said.
The accused have been identified as Mumtaz Khan of Jadheswarpur village under Balasore district, Udayanath Rath of Arana village under Jagatsinghpur district and Pradeep Kumar Das of Tainkana village under Cuttack district.
A case has been registered against the trio under sections 21 (C) and 29 of the NDPS Act, 1985 and further investigation into the incident is underway.
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“The accused could not produce any valid reason for possession of such contraband materials, for which they were arrested,” said a STF official.
Since 2020, in various special drives against narcotic drugs, STF has seized more than 38 Kg of brown sugar and more than 84.28 quintals marijuana. More than 100 drug peddlers have been arrested in this connection.
Earlier last week, the Commissionerate Police had seized over 1 kg brown sugar and arrested six persons in that connection in Cuttack.
A joint team of Lalbag police and the Special Squad nabbed the drug peddlers and seized the contraband weighing 1.195 kg which is worth crores of rupees as per the street price.