The Special Crime Unit (SCU) of Bhubaneswar police has dismantled a major drug trafficking operation, arresting a key supplier and seizing brown sugar worth approximately Rs 40 Lakh.
The arrested individual has been identified as Sheikh Akbar (29), a resident of Balasore district, who reportedly sourced narcotics from Lalgola in West Bengal. Police raids are ongoing to apprehend the syndicate’s alleged mastermind and Akbar’s associate, Sheikh Sadiq Mohammed (30).
According to Police Commissioner S Dev Datta Singh, the arrest is a significant blow to the city’s drug supply chain, which serves clientele including college students, tourists, and businessmen in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack.
SCU officers intercepted Akbar near Lingaraj railway station, where he was waiting to deliver the consignment to another trafficker. 400 grams of brown sugar, worth Rs 40 Lakh on the street, were seized. Investigators stated that Akbar intended to sell it for nearly Rs 80 Lakh.
Police sources revealed that in the illegal market, 1 kg of brown sugar sells for around Rs 1 crore, while 200 mg fetches Rs 2,000. Akbar also has a history of drug smuggling arrests in Balasore, and leads emerged from recent raids on betel shops suspected of selling narcotics near educational institutions.
Between 2020 and 2024, Bhubaneswar police seized 13 kg of brown sugar worth Rs 13 crore and arrested 586 individuals in drug trafficking cases. Authorities have intensified surveillance, especially in Salia Sahi and Haladipadia slums, and are working with communities to identify peddlers and raise awareness about narcotics dangers.
DCP (SCU) Anup Kanungo urged citizens to remain vigilant and report suspicious activity immediately.
