Chatra: A member of the state executive committee of BJP youth wing was among the nine brown sugar smugglers arrested and seized a total of 296 gm of brown sugar from them, the district police said on Saturday.
SP Rishav Kumar Jha said acting on a tip-off, he formed a team and arrested the smugglers swiftly.
Those arrested included Himanshu Kumar alias Honey, who is the BJP youth wing member.
Jha said he got information that one Dheeraj Kumar, a resident of Kesri Chowk of the town area, was peddling the contraband item for supply to his customers.
Dheeraj was caught “red-handed” with 2.1 gms of brown sugar.
Based on his information, the eight other members of his gang including Honey, were arrested.
The other seven arrested were identified as Amit Gupta, the supplier of the illegal item, Anurag Kumar, Chandan Kumar, Nawal Dangi and Prem Dangi, Roshan alias Bhagirath Dangi and Abhishek Thakur.
He also said police have seized 296gm of brown sugar, a car, a bike, eight mobile phones and Rs 7.74 lakh cash from their possession.
“Amit, Honey, Anurag and Chandan were caught travelling in an SUV and seized 3.2 gm of brown sugar and the cash from them,” Jha said.
Chatra is becoming a hotbed of illegal drug trade in the wake of widespread cultivation of poppy and opium, which are used in the manufacture of brown sugar.
Jha said from May 1, 2020, to June 10, 2021, police have recovered 572 kg of opium, 2.241 kg brown sugar besides more than nine quintal ganja (marijuana) from different smugglers.