With the enforcement agencies intensifying the drive against illegal narcotics trade, the drug smugglers are resorting to new methods to evade the police dragnet.
In such an attempt, drug peddlers tried to smuggle drugs with a car having a ‘Government of India’ registration number plate in Puri town. But alert policemen foiled their bid and arrested them on Thursday. Three persons identified as Deba Prasad Mishra, Sheikh Karimullah and Sheikh Anu of Bhubaneswar were arrested in this connection. According to reports, the accused trio was heading towards Bhubaneswar from Puri carrying the contraband in the vehicle. Acting on inputs, the Puri Sadar police intercepted the car near the Malatipatpur bus-stand.
During search , police recovered 40 grams of brown sugar from the car. Police sources said the smugglers used to procure the drug from Baleswar and peddle those in Puri. The estimated market price of the seized contraband was about Rs 40 lakh.