Title - RPF tightens noose around drug peddlers

BHUBANESWAR: The East Coast Railway (ECoR) has tightened the noose around drug peddlers moving in trains and stations under its jurisdiction. The Railway Protection Force (RPF) arrested 10 criminals, mostly drug peddlers, last month from Bhubaneswar and a few other railway stations.

"Raids were conducted at different places. Seven criminals and three touts from stations and ticket booking counters were arrested," ECoR's chief public relations officer R N Mohapatra said. The RPF also recently seized around 5.186 kg of narcotics, suspected to be brown sugar, from Yeshwantpur-Howrah Express and arrested Abdul Hassan (41) of Chennai at Visakhapatnam station. Hassan was carrying the contraband packed in 27 packets in a bag.

A few days ago, the RPF of Rairakhol in Sambalpur division seized over 37 kg of ganja worth over Rs 1.48 lakh from Puri-Sambalpur Intercity Express. "All the recovered contraband were handed over to the excise department," Mohapatra said.