Jharsuguda, Odisha: The Jharsuguda Police have arrested seven individuals involved in an inter-district brown sugar (heroin) trade, seizing 12.48 grams of the narcotic during a special operation, officials said.
The arrests were announced by Superintendent of Police Gundala Reddy Raghavendra at a press conference held at Jharsuguda Town Police Station on Saturday evening. Acting on credible intelligence, a special team under senior officers intercepted the suspects near the railway station, recovering the narcotics in the presence of an executive magistrate and witnesses under NDPS Act procedures.
Preliminary investigation revealed the accused were part of a network distributing contraband across multiple districts. The arrested individuals are:
Abhirang Ray (32) – Beheramal Industrial Estate
Chhotu Sa (25) – Badmal area
Guddu Gand (32) – Buromal
Bhagirathi Meher (32) – Golamunda, Kalahandi
Abinash Behera (28) – Mangalbazar
Fardin Khan (23) – Nala Road, Rourkela
Shant Bahadur Thapa (43) – Raghunathpali, Sundargarh
All seven were booked under Town Police Station Case No. 114/2026 and produced in court. SP Raghavendra confirmed that further investigation is underway to trace the larger network. SDPO Umashankar Singh and IIC Ranjan Bariha were present at the press briefing.
