High on action: ‘Team 60’ goes after drug peddlers in Bhubaneswar

The police have seized over 250 gm brown sugar between January and March this year, registered 19 cases and arrested 37 peddlers.
For representational purpose
For representational purpose

BHUBANESWAR: To curb proliferation of brown sugar in the capital, Bhubaneswar Police has unleashed its ‘Team 60’ to go after drug peddlers which target educational institutions as well as slum population.A group of ‘Team 60’ consisting of an officer and four to five constables is working to nab peddlers engaging in drug trade in the city. “We have adopted ‘zero tolerance’ approach towards sale of contraband,” DCP Prateek Singh told The New Indian Express.

Police have already identified habitual drug peddlers and initiated externment proceedings against 10 to 12 offenders. Similarly, it has come to police’s notice that four to five peddlers have resumed the illegal business after securing bail from the court. 

Under operation ‘White Spider’, Bhubaneswar Police is looking to clean up peddlers from educational institutions as well as slums.  Singh said a close vigil is being kept near educational institutions to ensure peddlers are not able to sell the contraband to students. While ‘Team 60’ is working in the capital, Bhubaneswar UPD’s Quick Action Team (QAT) is making efforts to check the inter-district drug trade.

Brown sugar sold in the capital is procured from Balasore and Jaleswar and peddlers sell small quantities to avoid police notice. They are found selling one gram brown sugar in at least 30 separate packets. Each packet consists of about 30 mg of the contraband. “The drug peddlers found in possession of non-commercial quantity of brown sugar are also being booked and arrested,” said Singh. 

In many instances, police have found that after a peddler is arrested, family members get into the trade. They mostly run the business from their houses constructed illegally on government land. Such structures are being demolished so that anti-socials are not able to continue the drugs trade, said Singh.

Commissionerate Police has also approached an agency having expertise in creating awareness against consumption of drugs. The police are planning to launch the second phase of  De-addiction, Reformation and Entrepreneurial Assistance for Making a Safe Society (DREAMS) initiative with the assistance of the agency.

The police have seized over 250 gm brown sugar between January and March this year, registered 19 cases and arrested 37 peddlers. The police also seized Rs 43,000 cash from the accused.

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