The special squad of Odisha police arrested three men and seized around 170 grams of brown sugar, Rs 1.6 lakh in cash, and three two-wheelers during a raid in Puri district. Acting on a tip-off, police conducted the operation in Chandanpur on Friday evening after receiving information about drug supply activities in the area.
The accused have been identified as Pradeep Kumar Panda, Litu Pradhan, and Niranjan Parida. Puri SP Prateek Singh called the arrests a significant achievement in the ongoing anti-narcotics campaign. “These arrests are a direct result of focused intelligence-driven operations,” he stated.
The accused were caught red-handed selling the brown sugar. The police confiscated 170 grams of contraband valued at Rs 16 lakh, two motorcycles, one scooter, three mobile phones, and a small knife from their possession. Additionally, Rs 1.6 lakh cash, believed to be proceeds from drug sales, was recovered.
Chandanpur police led the raid. The accused reportedly admitted to working under two notorious local drug suppliers who remain at large.
