Who Were the Three Arrested with Brown Sugar Worth Rs 40 Lakh in Jharkhand?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Three smugglers arrested in Seraikela-Kharsawan.
- Brown sugar worth Rs 40 lakh seized.
- Largest single drug seizure in the district.
- Police operations based on specific intelligence.
- Continued crackdown on narcotics trade.
Seraikela (Jharkhand), Oct 6 (NationPress) In a significant blow to drug trafficking in Jharkhand’s Seraikela-Kharsawan district, law enforcement officials apprehended three smugglers on Monday and confiscated brown sugar valued at approximately Rs 40 lakh from the Adityapur Muslim settlement area. The police reported that a total of 207.91 grams of brown sugar was seized during this operation.
This seizure marks the largest single narcotics confiscation in the district to date, according to police sources.
Superintendent of Police (SP) Mukesh Kumar Lunayat informed the media that the operation was executed based on specific intelligence. Following this lead, a special team led by SDPO Sameer Kumar Sawaiya conducted the raid, resulting in the arrest of the three suspects.
The individuals apprehended include Shahbaz Khan (19), a local resident with three prior cases—including one under the NDPS Act—registered against him; Mohammad Samour alias Mohammad Aayan (19) from Chhattisgarh; and Rafiqul Islam (50) from Murshidabad, West Bengal.
SP Lunayat emphasized that this operation is part of a broader district initiative to combat drug trafficking and warned that stringent measures will continue against those involved in the illegal trade of narcotics.
The raiding team comprised DSP Sameer Kumar Sawaiya, SHO Vinod Tirkey, along with several sub-inspectors and armed police personnel.
In a related incident just a day prior, authorities in Jamshedpur’s Mango area detained two individuals—Baban Khan alias Sheikh Baban and Pawan Sahu—who were allegedly smuggling brown sugar. A total of 140 packets (18 grams) of the illegal substance were seized from them.
During questioning, the two admitted to being involved in the brown sugar trade for an extended period. Police records reveal multiple cases against them across Mango, Sitaramdera, and Ulidih police stations.
SP Lunayat stated that these recent arrests underscore the district police's intensified efforts to dismantle narcotics networks operating in and around the industrial zones of Adityapur and Jamshedpur.