A joint team of Jaleswar and Bhograi Excise officials on Saturday arrested Ambu Das, a drugs peddler from Kamarda area in Balasore district. The arrest came after a video of some youths striking a deal of brown sugar inside a shop went viral on social media.
Senior officials said that 260 grams of brown sugar worth Rs 26 lakh has been seized from the possession of the drugs peddler.
In the video, the youths were seen negotiating the price of the brown sugar at the shop alongside the State-Highway no- 57. Notably, the shop where the brown sugar deal was being struck was some 500 meters away from Kamarda police station.
It is pertinent to mention here that Jaleswar block is the transit point for the illegal brown sugar trade in Odisha. The drugs is supplied to different parts of the State through various peddlers after they procure the same from neighbouring West Bengal.
With the tentacles of the illicit trade now spreading to Kamarda area, local residents are demanding a detailed investigation and crackdown in the region as many youngsters are getting addicted to drugs.