Sambalpur: The brown sugar trade in Sambalpur city continues to grow despite repeated police crackdowns. Dhanupali police on Thursday arrested a notorious criminal, Armaan Khan (23), from Kumbharpada during a drug transaction near Doordarshan Kendra close to Deor Park.
Acting on a tip-off, a special team led by Dhanupali IIC Aditya Mahakud apprehended Armaan and seized 15.58 grams of brown sugar, a country-made knife, and a mobile phone from his possession.
Armaan, son of Gulab Khan—currently in jail for murder—has an extensive criminal history with 31 cases registered across various police stations in Sambalpur district. These include charges of knife attacks, extortion, robbery, ganja smuggling, and possession of firearms. He reportedly entered the crime world as a minor in 2019 and was released from jail just a few months ago.
According to police sources, 16 cases are registered against him in Dhanupali police station alone, followed by 9 in Town PS, 3 in Burla, 2 in Khetrarajpur, and 1 in Ainthapali. He was already under police surveillance for suspected drug peddling activities.
During interrogation, Armaan claimed that the brown sugar had been sourced from West Bengal during the harvest season. Police are now investigating his network and possible links to larger drug rackets.
Just a day before Armaan’s arrest, Dhanupali police had apprehended two others — Vinod Badi (28) of Dhanakuda and Vinod Topno (32) of CT Station area — for trading 14.51 grams of brown sugar near Bhagbatgudi in Kumbharpada. Police also seized two mobile phones, a Nikon camera, and ₹1,750 in cash from them.
In total, police have seized 30.09 grams of brown sugar within two days, while 87.3 grams were seized in September alone. So far, 13 peddlers have been arrested in recent operations, signalling intensified action against the growing drug trade in the city.
