Bhubaneswar: Special crime unit (SCU) of city police on Monday raided shops located near colleges, universities and health institutions and found 263 grams of brown sugar and thousands of ganja-laced cigarettes.The raids, conducted near private universities and AIIMS, Bhubaneswar, were aimed at curbing the sale of drugs and other psychotropic substances. Besides raiding the shops, the SCU sleuths also generated awareness among youths and shop owners, officials said.“Multiple teams conducted surprise raids at several locations near the educational and health institutions and found contraband including brown sugar and cigarettes laced with ganja,” said DCP (SCU) Anup Kanungo.Many shopkeepers were caught red-handed while selling ganja-laced cigarettes. Cigarette-packing materials were also seized. “More than 1,000 pieces of ganja cigarettes were seized, including various materials to make them. The campuses and places around the educational institutions were raided. The shopkeepers, who were operating clandestinely to sell ganja-laced cigarettes to regular consumers, were sensitized. If required some will be detained for questioning,” Kanungo said, adding that they will be interrogated to ascertain the supply chain as well as how they prepare and store it.Earlier, the govt had issued strong directives regarding the prevention of illegal drug trafficking and substance abuse in various places. Senior officials from various departments, including excise, police, higher education, school and mass education, social security and empowerment of persons with disabilities, and health, participated in the discussions. Raids had also been conducted by the special task force of the crime branch around educational institutions.SCU sleuths said shopkeepers engage small-time peddlers, who keep the cigarettes and gutka in a bag and move near the campuses. They are not easily noticeable unless frisked and checked to see what is inside the bags. They target students and the floating population.“We have activated local intelligence, and plainclothes personnel are also keeping a watch on suspicious people roaming around educational institutions. The drive will continue further,” a senior police officer said.
