After illegal business of liquor, ganja and opium, the city has witnessed drug peddling during last few years and the youths have been the primary customers. It was revealed on Wednesday when the Excise flying squad of Cuttack, along with city excise sleuths, arrested two drug peddlers from here.
The officials seized 70 grams of heroin, worth approximately Rs 7 lakh from the peddlers’ possession. The peddlers were identified as Sheikh Mustak Ahmed of Medinipur in West Bengal (WB) and Pramod Kumar Mohanty of Cuttack, both staying at Haldipadia Basti under laxmisagar police limits in the city.
According to reports, a 15-member team of the Excise sleuths, under the supervision of Deputy Superintendent Natabara Behera conducted a raid on the house of the accused in the wee hours on Wednesday.
The duo confessed that they have been selling heroin to drug peddlers in the city during last few years. They were importing the drugs from West Bengal, said the Excise officials. The accused were booked under section 21 (B) of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.
Smuggling of heroine is getting market support in Cuttack, Puri, Baleswar and Ganjam besides the Capital city, said the officials.“It’s an international drug smuggling gang. They were selling the stuff in small packets weighing half a gram each, which costs Rs 140,” Excise Inspector-in-charge (IIC) Ramachandra Mishra said.Notably, the quick action team of the Commissionerate Police had seized 1,800 bottles of country liquor and arrested a man from the slum.