Major drugs haul: Brown sugar worth Rs1cr seized in Balasore, 1 in STF net

The Special Task Force (STF) of the Odisha Crime Branch arrested a drug peddler and recovered brown sugar worth over Rs 1 crore from his possession in Balasore. The inter-state drug peddler has been identified as Sk Rafiq.

The accused hails from Panchkula, West Bengal and was presently staying at Masjidgali ( Arada Bazar) under Sahadevkhunta police limits. Brown sugar weighing 1380 gms has been seized from the possession of Sk Rafiq who has been booked under sections 21(c)/29 of NDPS Act 1985.

STF SP, Kishore Kumar Panigrahi said, “The accused was nabbed following a raid which was carried out yesterday over a tip-off. The accused is involved in three other criminal cases including narcotic cases of Balasore district.”

Panigrahi further informed that STF has seized more than 57 Kgs of Brown Sugar/Heroin, 202 Grams of Cocaine in special drive which is continuing since 2020.

Apart from this, over 111 quintals of Ganja/Marijuna, 750 grams of Opium has also been seized by the STF in multiple cases in which over158 drug dealers/peddlers have been arrested so far.