In a significant blow to narcotics trafficking in Bhubaneswar, the Excise Department on Tuesday arrested a notorious woman drug peddler,Annapurna Behera, popularly known as Panna. Officials seized 360 grams of brown sugar valued at around Rs 36 lakh from her possession.
Panna, a resident of the Maisikhala slum area in the city, was allegedly running a narcotics syndicate for several years. Authorities suspect she played a key role in distributing heroin—commonly referred to as brown sugar—across parts of the state capital. Officials further alleged that she used women as shields to evade law enforcement scrutiny.
Acting on specific intelligence inputs, the Bhubaneswar Excise team conducted a carefully planned decoy operation. Officers reportedly posed as customers and apprehended the accused red-handed while she was allegedly dealing the contraband.
During the raid, officials seized:
360 grams of brown sugar (heroin)
Rs 4,000 in cash
One mobile phone
The seized narcotics are estimated to have a street value of approximately Rs 36 lakh in the illegal market. Following her arrest, the accused was produced before a local court.
