Cuttack: The Special Task Force (STF) of the Odisha Crime Branch today raided the house of drugs smuggler Sheikh Raja near Galapola in Arada Bazaar area of Balasore district. Raja was arrested by the Crime Branch on September 16.
As per reports, a five-member team of STF including the Additional SP raided Raja’s house and verified various documents. The additional SP also interrogated Raja’s wife Priya Bibi, his mother and niece in connection with his crime syndicate in Odisha and his links with international drug mafia. The STF team had reached Balasore town yesterday night and after conducting a detailed enquiry into Raja’s drugs trade, the team raided his house today morning.
Earlier on September 21, the STF team had arrested an Odisha Police havildar Ranjan Sahu on charges of his links with Raja.
Raja, a resident of Sahadevkhunta area, was arrested by the CB-STF from Padmapur under Khandagiri Police limits in Bhubaneswar on September 16.
Crime Branch suspects that Raja has links with inter-state and international drugs mafia based in Nepal and Bangladesh. Several criminal cases, including extortion and firing are also pending against him at different police stations across the state.
The Crime Branch has also arrested several associates of Raja including a woman from Haladipadia slum in Bhubaneswar.