BHUBANESWAR: The Drug Task Force of Commissionerate Police on Monday nabbed a supplier from near Sainik School and recovered 100 gram brown sugar worth Rs 10 lakh from his possession. It is one of the biggest seizures by the police in the recent times.
A focused and methodical assault on drug trade by Commissionerate Police has paid rich dividends in the Capital City where it was assuming menacing proportions, mostly among the students of educational institutions.
Between September and January 27, Commissionerate Police has arrested 105 drug peddlers and seized a whopping 1.3 kg gram brown sugar whose market value is estimated at Rs 1.5 crore. Till 2018, the City would report just about 50 odd cases of drug peddling every year.
With the State Government seeking more attention to the problem, the Commissionerate Police put in place the Drug Task Force, under direct supervision of Additional Commissioner of Police Sanjay Singh and the special drives led to detection of more than 150 cases last year itself.
While individual police stations detect cases of drug peddling basing on information available, the special anti-drug unit has charted out its own strategy by generating an informant network. The quick action team, specially formed under Singh, gathers information and assists police stations to detect special crimes including drug trafficking with just two sub-inspectors and six constables.
"Our focus is to hit the source of procurement which include Khurda, Pipili, Balasore, Jaleswar and Baripada. We have arrested at least 40 peddlers from these places," Commissioner of Police Sudhanshu Sarangi said. Police registered 56 cases under Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and have seized Rs 6 lakh, 40 two-wheelers, six four-wheelers and 103 mobile phones from the accused.
With persistent action against peddlers and continuous seizure of brown sugar, cash and other property, supply chain has been hit which has, interestingly, led to a rise in the price of the contraband in the last six months. The peddlers sell one milligram packets whose price now has jumped to Rs 700, sources said.
Police sources said Rajpur village in Jaleswar has emerged as the hub of brown sugar trade.
In fact, the 100 gram seizure was made from a native of Rajpur, Budhia Khan. He was procuring the brown sugar from Lalgola in West Bengal’s Murshidabad and supplying the contraband to peddlers in the city.The Commissionerate Police has written to all major educational institutions on the need for sensitisation on drug abuse and plans a major campaign on the campuses soon.
Cracking the drug trade
Special drives by Drug Task Force leads to detection of more than 150 cases in 2019
105 persons arrested, 1,302 gram brown sugar of Rs 1.5 cr market value seized
56 cases registered under NDPS Act
Biggest seizure: 100 gm brown sugar worth Rs 10 lakh in the Capital
Procurement sources: Khurda, Pipili, Balasore, Jaleswar and Baripada
Trade hub: Rajpur village in Jaleswar of Balasore dist. The man held with 100 gm brown sugar was procuring it from Lalgola in Murshidabad