Balasore: In a major crackdown on the illegal trade of contraband, Jaleswar police arrested two persons in Balasore district Thursday and seized 10 grams of brown sugar worth Rs 1.5 lakh from their possession.
The accused were identified as Deepak Mohapatra of Old Town area in Bhubaneswar and Dhiren Mohapatra of Sakhigopal area in Puri.
Acting on a tip-off, the police intercepted an auto rickshaw near Chalanti Chhak in Jaleswar, in which the accused were traveling and nabbed them with the contraband.
According to police, they were smuggling brown sugar from Rupsa railway station to Bhubaneswar. They had planned to board Bangiriposhi-Bhubaneswar Express to avoid suspicion.
The accused are in police custody for interrogation while further investigation into the case is on, said the police adding that other people involved in the racket will be arrested soon.