Jharsuguda police arrested seven people involved in an inter‑district brown sugar trade and seized 12.48 grams of the narcotic during a special operation.
Superintendent of Police Gundala Reddy Raghavendra announced the arrests at a press conference held at Jharsuguda Town Police Station on Saturday evening.
Acting on credible intelligence, police formed a special team under senior officers to target illegal drug trafficking. During the operation, suspects were detained near the railway station and interrogated. Officers recovered a significant quantity of brown sugar (heroin) from the accused. The seizure was conducted in the presence of an executive magistrate and witnesses, following NDPS Act procedures.
Preliminary investigation revealed that the accused were part of an inter‑district narcotics network. They collected contraband from one location and distributed it across districts. Police identified the arrested individuals as Abhirang Ray (32) of Beheramal Industrial Estate, Chhotu Sa (25) of Badmal area, Guddu Gand (32) of Buromal, Bhagirathi Meher (32) of Golamunda in Kalahandi, Abinash Behera (28) of Mangalbazar, Fardin Khan (23) of Nala Road, Rourkela, and Shant Bahadur Thapa (43) of Raghunathpali in Sundargarh.
All seven were booked under Town Police Station Case No. 114/2026 and produced in court. SP Raghavendra confirmed that further investigation is underway to trace the wider network. SDPO Umashankar Singh and IIC Ranjan Bariha were also present at the press briefing.
