The special task force (STF) of the Odisha crime branch arrested four drug peddlers and seized 1,100 grams of brown sugar worth Rs 1 crore from their possession in Balasore.

The accused have been identified as Sk Faiyaz, Sk Shamshed, Sk Murad and Sandeep Nayak. All of them are from Balasore town.

In a press release, the crime branch said with the help of local Balasore police, a raid was conducted on Sunday evening against illegal dealing and possession of narcotic drugs. It also registered a case under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substance Act, 1985.

The release said: “During search contraband brown sugar (heroin) weighing 1,100 grams and other incriminating materials were recovered and seized from their possession. The accused persons could not produce any valid authority in support of the possession of such contraband materials, for which the accused persons were arrested. They will be forwarded to the court of District and Sessions cum Special Judge, Balasore.”

It further said: “Since 2020, STF has seized more than 71kg of brown sugar (heroin), 202-gram cocaine and more than 116 quintals of ganja (marijuana), opium 750 gram and arrested more than 176 drug dealers or peddlers.”

Maoists beat up Latehar guards

Latehar: Five security guards were assaulted and a weighbridge of DVC coal mines in Jharkhand’s Latehar district was set on fire by a Maoist faction on Monday, police said.

The incident happened around 2 am in the Tubed DVC coal mines area under the Latehar Police Station limits, around 110 km from the state capital Ranchi.

Jharkhand Lal Tiger (JLT), a Maoist faction, took responsibility for the incident by leaving a pamphlet there, Latehar police station in-charge Ashutosh Kumar said.

“Five private security guards were beaten up by the Maoist group and a truck-weighing unit was torched,” he said.

In the pamphlet, the group of red rebels threatened that the company has to face consequences if the mining work continues without any discussion with the outfit.

PTI