Notorious ‘lady don’ arrested in Bhubaneswar; brown sugar worth Rs 36 lakh seized

In a major blow to drug trafficking networks in the state capital, the Excise Department on Tuesday arrested a notorious woman drug peddler, Annapurna Behera alias Panna, and seized brown sugar valued at approximately Rs 36 lakh from her possession.

Panna, a resident of the Maisikhala slum area in Bhubaneswar, was allegedly operating a narcotics syndicate in the city for several years. Officials said she had been actively involved in the illegal drug trade and was reportedly using women as shields to shield her operations from law enforcement scrutiny.

Acting on specific intelligence inputs, the Bhubaneswar Excise team carried out a decoy operation. Officers posed as customers and apprehended the accused red-handed while she was allegedly dealing brown sugar.

During the raid, officials seized 360 grams of heroin, commonly known as brown sugar, along with Rs 4,000 in cash and a mobile phone. The seized contraband is estimated to be worth around Rs 36 lakh in the illegal market.

Following her arrest, Panna was produced before a court.

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Confirming the development, Khordha SP Debasish Patel said, “Our Range 1 officers and staff caught the accused red-handed. We have seized 360 grams of brown sugar, Rs 4,000 in cash, and a mobile phone. The estimated value of the contraband is approximately Rs 36 lakh. As this involves a commercial quantity, we will coordinate with multiple agencies, including the Police, Special Task Force (STF,) and Narcotics officials, for further investigation.”

Authorities have indicated that a wider probe is underway to identify other members of the alleged drug network and trace the supply chain.