City SP Lalit Meena Led Operation Busts Drug Trade at Railway Bridge in Garib Nawaz Colony
Key Points:
- Brothers Mohammad Sarfaraz and Mohammad Shahbaz held with 24 brown sugar pouches near Kharkhai bridge
- Duo bought each pouch for Rs 100-150 and sold it for Rs 250-300, police say
- Both accused have prior jail record in brown sugar cases; NDPS Act case registered
JAMSHEDPUR – Acting on a tip-off received by the Senior Superintendent of Police, a Jugsalai police team arrested two brothers on charges of illegally trading in brown sugar near the Kharkhai river railway bridge in Garib Nawaz Colony on Monday. Twenty-four pouches of brown sugar and Rs 170 in cash were recovered from their possession.
City SP Lalit Meena stated that information had been received that some youths were purchasing, selling and consuming brown sugar on the Kharkhai river railway bridge. On his directions, a team from Jugsalai police station was constituted under the leadership of the Deputy Superintendent of Police (Law and Order) to verify the tip-off and take action.
The team moved swiftly and apprehended two persons from the upper portion of the eastern end of the bridge, near the railway track. The arrested accused were identified as Mohammad Sarfaraz alias Tilli, aged 24, and Mohammad Shahbaz alias Manna, aged 23. Both are residents of the area behind Nasheem Marriage Hall in Garib Nawaz Colony and are brothers.
During interrogation, the accused disclosed that they purchased each pouch of brown sugar at a rate of Rs 100 to Rs 150 and sold it for between Rs 250 and Rs 300. The estimated market value of the seized narcotic was put at approximately Rs 3,600. Both accused had previously served jail time in brown sugar-related cases.
A case has been registered as Jugsalai Police Station Case No. 46/26 on the statement of police officer Vivek Kumar Pandit. The accused have been booked under Sections 17(A), 22(A) and 27(A) of the NDPS Act 1985. Police said that investigation was continuing to identify others connected to the illegal drug trade in the area.
The items recovered from the accused were as follows:
| Item | Quantity / Value |
|---|---|
| Brown sugar pouches | 24 pouches (est. market value Rs 3,600) |
| Cash | Rs 170 |
Kolhan police have in recent weeks stepped up action against narcotics networks across Jamshedpur. Earlier, a major drug network had been busted in Jugsalai with the seizure of codeine syrup, and a cough syrup smuggling racket had also been cracked in the same area.
