BHUBANESWAR: The drug trade remains a major headache for the police in the Capital City despite persistent operations against it. The slums dotting across the city have turned the veritable underbelly of the dangerous ‘substance’ trade with the youths getting hooked to the ‘kick’ and many getting trapped to carry out peddling.
Areas such as Haldipadia, Salia Sahi, Mali Sahi, Phuleswari Basti, Patia and Shikharchandi slum in the city have become major centres for brown sugar, adulterated cough syrup and other synthetic drugs.
Adulterated brown sugar available in the city has become a substitute for the more expensive cocaine. The drug has become a rage as it is cheap. One can get a gram of brown sugar for `700-`1000 while good quality cocaine costs upwards of `5000 per gram, the officer added.
Curiosity, kick and fun are some of the factors that pull the first-timers till they get hooked to it. By the time they recover to the trap, it is too late. “Most of my customers are youngsters. One of my regular customers is a college student who comes with his friends in a car,” said Shaikh, a peddler.
Meanwhile, police have intensified enforcement against drug peddlers in the last six months. Over 28 cases under NDPS Act have been registered with 49 arrests. During 2016-17, 634.50 grams of brown sugar were seized in the Capital City. A major challenge before the police is that any addict is a potential drug peddler.
“The moment a drug addict falls short of resources to finance his drug consumption, he either resorts to commit a crime like snatching or gets engaged in drug peddling with a considerable commission for his service,” Police Commissioner Yogesh Bahadur Khurania said.
Sources said the Commissionerate of Police has already tracked the sources of drug supply into the city. A woman based in Balasore is the kingpin of the racket. She sources drugs from West Bengal and routes it to Bhubaneswar. However, the network operates on phone and none of members have any knowledge of the whereabouts or identity of their upper link.
In order to book a person under the NDPS Act, he or she must be in possession of the contraband which does not occur in the case of the mastermind here.
However, the person is under surveillance and will be arrested soon, the officer added.