Bhubaneswar, Nov 1: The Special Task Force (STF) of the Crime Branch has seized brown sugar worth Rs 1 crore near Tigiria in Cuttcak district and arrested one person in this connection.
The accused has been identified as Suryakanta Mantry (32), a resident of Tigiria. Police said on the basis of intelligence input, STF conducted a raid near Kalibiri bridge in Tigiria on Tuesday.
During the raid, The STF seized brown sugar weighing 1022 grams from the possession of Mantry.
Since 2020, STF has seized more than 73 kg of brown sugar, 202 gram cocaine and more than 116 quintals of ganja, 750 gram opium and arrested more than 183 drug dealers and peddlers. STF has also destroyed more than 62 kg of seized brown sugar in last one year.
Police said that the root of the peddling racket originates from Balasore and adjoining areas. “The banned contraband is mostly smuggled in to Odisha from states such as Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal. The small time traders in the slum procure it from Balasore and its adjoining areas and sell it in other parts with hefty margins,” said an official.
