No breakthrough in brown sugar case

In November 2012, the Government Railway Police seized brown sugar from a passenger in a Howrah bound train in association with Railway Protection Force near Vizianagaram under Vizag GRP limits

Visakhapatnam: It has been five years now since the railway police seized 5 kg of brown sugar worth Rs 5 crore. The police have failed to get concrete clues to nab the kingpins in the trade though arrested one person who was in possession of this contraband. The investigation into the case has reached a dead end without establishing any links between the drug peddler, supplier and the destination of drugs.

It may recalled that in November 2012, the Government Railway Police seized brown sugar from a passenger in a Howrah bound train in association with Railway Protection Force near Vizianagaram under Vizag GRP limits.

The police arrested one Abul Ashan,41 of Chennai, who came to Vizg city by road and boarded a train to Howrah. On a tip-off, the GRP and RPF personnel checked his bags and found he was in possession of 5 kg of brown sugar.

A senior police officer, who had investigated the case when he was with GRP, said that they have visited Chennai, Howrah and few other places to find out the key players in the specific case but found no clue.

Though they got some clues based on the call data of Ashan, they were unable to trace the big-sharks in the case since Ashan was just a peddler, said the senior police officials.

While only a two to three cases have been registered by the police against costly drug trafficking in Vizag region, there were reports that Vizag city has been receiving brown sugar, opium and cocaine, said ACP (Task Force) I Chittibabu.

The City Task Force has been collecting some information from various sources to burst the costly drugs gangs to keep the city free from high-end drugs, he added. The GRP personnel said that they were ill-equipped in terms of manpower and technology to check the transportation of drugs on trains.

The GRP has requested the government for sanction of a dog squad to sniff out the drugs but the proposal is yet to be materialised, the DSP said.

It has been five years now since the railway police seized 5 kg of brown sugar worth Rs 5 crore. The police have failed to get concrete clues to nab the kingpins in the trade though arrested one person who was in possession of this contraband. The investigation into the case has reached a dead end without establishing any links between the drug peddler, supplier and the destination of drugs.

It may recalled that in November 2012, the Government Railway Police seized brown sugar from a passenger in a Howrah bound train in association with Railway Protection Force near Vizianagaram under Vizag GRP limits.

The police arrested one Abul Ashan,41 of Chennai, who came to Vizg city by road and boarded a train to Howrah. On a tip-off, the GRP and RPF personnel checked his bags and found he was in possession of 5 kg of brown sugar.

A senior police officer, who had investigated the case when he was with GRP, said that they have visited Chennai, Howrah and few other places to find out the key players in the specific case but found no clue.

Though they got some clues based on the call data of Ashan, they were unable to trace the big-sharks in the case since Ashan was just a peddler, said the senior police officials.

While only a two to three cases have been registered by the police against costly drug trafficking in Vizag region, there were reports that Vizag city has been receiving brown sugar, opium and cocaine, said ACP (Task Force) I Chittibabu.

The City Task Force has been collecting some information from various sources to burst the costly drugs gangs to keep the city free from high-end drugs, he added. The GRP personnel said that they were ill-equipped in terms of manpower and technology to check the transportation of drugs on trains.

The GRP has requested the government for sanction of a dog squad to sniff out the drugs but the proposal is yet to be materialised, the DSP said.