TV
Jaleswar Police arrested ill-reputed drug peddler Sheikh Samiruddin alias Taklu on Monday from Jhadeswar locality in Balasore district. He was captured at a hotel, with the police team seizing brown sugar worth around Rs 30 Lakh from his possession.
Taklu is alleged to be involved in narcotics smuggling from neighbouring countries such as Bangladesh and Nepal, distributing them across Odisha.
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Law enforcement has intensified efforts to combat the illegal trade of brown sugar, registering 19 cases and apprehending 25 individuals in the previous year. In the current year, seven individuals have been arrested in four separate cases within a month.
The intelligence department remains vigilant, establishing multiple checkpoints along the borders to intercept smuggling activities. “We are closely monitoring the illicit drug trade through inter-state coordination meetings. Naka check-post points are in place. Very soon we will break the link of these cartels,” Balasore SP Raj Prasad said to OTV.
Despite Odisha not producing brown sugar, its distribution is rampant, especially in regions like Arada Bazaar and Jaleswar in the Balasore district. The issue has escalated to an extent comparable to a cottage industry, significantly impacting the youth, particularly college students, who are falling prey to drug addiction.
The brown sugar trade has established Balasore as a focal point for drug operations, with transactions exceeding Rs 30 Crore. Preferred trafficking routes involve road, waterways, and railway networks, notably via Bangaon in West Bengal, leading into Odisha.
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“Brown sugar is coming to the district via West Bengal and youngsters are involved in this illegal trade,” Balasore Excise Superintendent Sushant Padhi stated when contacted.
There is growing concern regarding the Excise Department’s role in dismantling these supply chains. Community leaders raise alarms over how mafia groups equipped with sophisticated weaponry appear to outmatch the authorities, who struggle to effectively respond.
