Phulbani: In a major breakthrough against the illegal narcotics trade, the Model Town Police in Phulbani have arrested two more individuals in connection with a prominent brown sugar trafficking racket. With these latest apprehensions, the total number of arrests in this specific case has risen to 13.
The newly arrested accused have been identified as Chandan Kumar Sahu (24), son of Babula Sahu, residing in Peonpada (Maa Mangala Sahi), and Aman Behera (24), son of Goutam Behera, from Kachara Sahi. Both individuals are residents of the Town Phulbani police jurisdiction in the Kandhamal district.
According to police officials, the actions were taken under the ongoing investigation of Model Town PS Case No. 168, registered on June 16, 2026. The accused have been booked under multiple stringent sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, including:
Section 20(b)(ii)(C): Provisions relating to the possession of commercial quantities of illicit substances.
Section 21(b): Penalties for manufacturing, possessing, or selling psychotropic substances.
Section 29: Punishment for abetment and criminal conspiracy.
Following their arrest, both individuals were officially forwarded to judicial custody.
A senior police official stated that further investigations are actively underway to trace the backward and forward linkages of this syndicate. The police are working to identify the main suppliers and any other local networks operating within the district, and further arrests have not been ruled out.
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