Bhadrak: In a major crackdown Friday night, Sadar police in Bhadrak district seized a large quantity of brown sugar from Charampa area. The market value of the seized contraband is estimated to be more than Rs 1 crore, a source said.
Police have arrested four persons including a woman in this connection.
The four arrested were identified as Kunilata Sarangi (30), Manoj Kumar Das (23) and Ajay Kumar Sarangi (32) – all three said to be drug peddlers. The supplier had sent a man named SK Abdul Hamid (45) with the contraband to supply it in and around Bhadrak town. He has also been arrested, a Sadar police official said.
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According to the source, a team of Sadar police officials had been enforcing lockdown restrictions and Covid-19 safety protocols in the area. The officials stopped an overloaded auto-rickshaw beneath Dhamra railway overbridge near Charampa area on NH-16, which was carrying four persons including a woman.
Later, the abnormal behaviour of passengers onboard raised doubts in the minds of cops. After conducting a thorough search of the three-wheeler, the officials recovered several packets of brown sugar weighing more than 1 kilogram along with Rs 1 lakh in cash. Besides, three mobile phones including incriminating instruments were also seized from them.
During interrogation, it was ascertained that the three drug-peddlers had gone by auto-rickshaw to procure the seized brown sugar from the main drug supplier of Jaleswar in the district.
Sadar police have registered a case under Section 21(C) of NDPS Act. A detailed investigation is underway to nab the supplier of Jaleswar and a manhunt has been launched, the police official informed.
Notably, arrested Hamid is a brother of drug mafia Chachi from Jaleswar area and father-in-law of the history-sheeter SK Asgar.
PNN