Bhubaneswar: Maitri Vihar Police here on Wednesday seized brown sugar worth over Rs 25 lakh and arrested five persons in Bhubaneswar.
Besides 254 grams of brown sugar, three motorcycles and Rs 3,500 in cash were recovered from them during a special drive, which is part of an ongoing crackdown against drug peddlers by the Commissionerate Police of Bhubaneswar-Cuttack in the twin cities.
The arrested have been identified as Sampad Kumar Das (43), Sibananda Mohapatra (30), Mallick Saeed Ali (61), Sadasiba Jagdeb (32), and Rajendra Mohapatra (25), all residents of Bhubaneswar and nearby areas. Two among them, Rajendra and Sibananda, have prior criminal records, including cases related to drug trafficking and theft, indicating a possible network of repeat offenders, a police release said.
A case has been registered under Section 21(C) of the NDPS Act. While a preliminary probe points to a well-organised supply chain, further investigation is underway to uncover potential links to larger drug trafficking networks in the area, it added.
In March this year, Maitri Vihar police arrested five persons near Hatiasuni and seized 270 gm brown sugar worth Rs 27 lakh, one car, a two-wheeler and four mobile phones from them.
