Drug peddlers busted; brown sugar worth Rs 16.5 Lakh seized in Bhubaneswar

In a major crackdown on narcotics, the Odisha Excise Department seized brown sugar worth Rs 16.5 lakh and arrested two drug peddlers who were reportedly using a ‘Bullet’ motorcycle to carry out their illegal trade across Bhubaneswar, on Tuesday.

Also Read: Odisha crime branch seizes brown sugar worth Rs 31 lakh, one held in Bhubaneswar

The accused duo has been identified as Litendra Behera and D. Seemadri Reddy.

Acting on a tip-off, the excise team laid a trap near Megheswar temple in the city, where a drug deal was reportedly underway. The suspects were caught red-handed along with the contraband during the operation. The team also seized the Bullet bike used in the drug distribution network.

Officials say the two were part of a broader chain of brown sugar smugglers operating in and around the State Capital. Further investigation is underway to trace the source of the narcotics and identify others involved in the racket.

The bust is part of an intensified state-wide drive against narcotics as Odisha continues to witness a disturbing rise in synthetic drug usage among youth.

No comments were received from the Excise officials in this regard.

Worth mentioning, earlier in another incident, Odisha Crime Branch had seized 319 grams of brown sugar worth around Rs 31 lakh and arrested a person involved in peddling drugs, on June 10 this year.

Based on a tip-off, a team of the Crime Branch special task force (STF) had conducted a raid on the banks of the river Kuakhai on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar and seized the drug from the accused’s possession, a senior police officer had said.

The arrested drug peddler was a resident of Bhubaneswar. Earlier, he was involved in two other cases in Badagada and Balianta police stations of the Capital City.