Bhubaneswar, Aug. 16 -- In a major crackdown against narcotics drug trafficking, the Special Task Force (STF) of Odisha Crime branch seized brown sugar worth around Rs 2.50 crore and arrested three persons in this connection at Jaleswar market in Balasore district on Sunday.

Acting on an intelligence input, the STF team conducted a raid at a place in Jaleswar market and nabbed three peddlers besides seizing 2.402 kilogram of the narcotic substance. Other incriminating materials were also recovered from their possession, police said.

The accused have been identified as Mumtaz Khan of Jadheswarpur village under Balasore district, Udayanath Rath of Arana village under Jagatsinghpur district and Pradeep Kumar Das of Tainkana village under C...