Bhubaneswar Police Seize ₹72 Lakh Worth of Brown Sugar in Major Crackdown

Bhubaneswar: In a significant crackdown on drug trafficking, the Bhubaneswar-Cuttack Commissionerate Police seized contraband brown sugar worth ₹72 lakh in raids conducted at two locations in the city.

Officials confirmed on Wednesday that five individuals were arrested, while one juvenile was apprehended for their alleged involvement in drug peddling.

The Special Crime Unit (SCU) of the Commissionerate Police intercepted 448 grams of brown sugar, valued at approximately ₹45 lakh, near Loyola School Square in Nayapalli on Tuesday.

“Acting on credible intelligence, the SCU team, led by a senior officer, conducted a well-coordinated raid. During the search, brown sugar was recovered from a backpack carried by the juvenile suspect. His accomplice, S.K. Sohit, managed to escape,” a senior officer said.

The investigation revealed that the accused were part of a larger drug trafficking network with links to suppliers in West Bengal. They allegedly conspired to distribute the contraband among local peddlers in Bhubaneswar.

The juvenile has been booked under Sections 21(c) and 29 of the NDPS Act for illegal possession and trafficking of brown sugar. Meanwhile, a manhunt has been launched to apprehend S.K. Sohit, who remains at large.

In a separate operation, the Maitri Vihar Police Station’s patrolling unit arrested five habitual drug peddlers near Hatiasuni on Wednesday.

Police recovered 270 grams of brown sugar worth ₹27 lakh, along with a four-wheeler, a scooter, four mobile phones, and ₹14,500 in cash from the accused. Investigations are underway to identify their larger network of operations.