Bhadrak police seized brown sugar valued at over Rs 15 lakh and arrested three individuals—two women and one man—while intercepting a drug smuggling attempt near Haladidihi Chhak on the Chandabali route on Sunday.
Acting on a tip-off, Purunabazar Police stopped a white Maruti Dzire near Nath Sahi that tried to flee during a routine patrol. A search of the vehicle uncovered 15.8 grams of brown sugar, 8 grams of packaging foil, four mobile phones, and the car itself.
The arrested have been identified as Ajwari Bibi (57), Sanjiba Bibi (40), and her husband Sheik Naruddin (54), residents of Begunia Jadupur under Khandagiri Police Station limits in Bhubaneswar.
Police sources say the trio admitted to delivering the contraband for a large payment but claimed ignorance about the drug’s original source or owner. Authorities suspect involvement of a larger drug network and have launched a deeper probe.
All three have been presented in court, with further legal action and investigations underway to trace the smuggling supply chain.
