Seraikela – In a major breakthrough against narcotics trafficking, Jharkhand police on Monday arrested three drug smugglers and seized brown sugar worth approximately ₹40 lakh from the Adityapur Muslim settlement area in Seraikela-Kharsawan district, officials said.
A total of 207.91 grams of brown sugar was recovered during the raid — the largest-ever single seizure in the district, according to police sources.
Superintendent of Police Mukesh Kumar Lunayat said the operation was launched following a specific intelligence input. Acting swiftly, a special team led by SDPO Sameer Kumar Sawaiya conducted the raid and apprehended the suspects.
The arrested accused have been identified as:
- Shahbaz Khan (19), a local resident with three previous criminal cases, including one under the NDPS Act,
- Mohammad Samour alias Mohammad Aayan (19), from Chhattisgarh, and
- Rafiqul Islam (50), from Murshidabad, West Bengal.
SP Lunayat said the operation was part of a district-wide crackdown on narcotics, warning that strict action would continue against anyone involved in the illegal drug trade.
The raiding team included DSP Sameer Kumar Sawaiya, SHO Vinod Tirkey, several sub-inspectors, and armed police personnel.
Meanwhile, in a related incident on Sunday, police in Jamshedpur’s Mango area arrested two drug peddlers — Baban Khan alias Sheikh Baban and Pawan Sahu — and recovered 140 packets (18 grams) of brown sugar.
During interrogation, the duo confessed to being long-time participants in the drug trade. Police records show that multiple cases are registered against them in Mango, Sitaramdera, and Ulidih police stations.
SP Lunayat said the recent arrests highlight the district police’s intensified campaign to dismantle narcotics networks operating across the industrial belt of Adityapur and Jamshedpur.
With inputs from IANS