Bhubaneswar: Excise sleuths have seized brown sugar weighing 450 grams from a Maruti swift car near Sikharpur in Cuttack.

Excise officials said the market value of the seized contraband was around Rs 50 lakh. The officials said that acting on a tip-off they intercepted the car near Mahanadi bridge and found the contraband was wrapped in polythene and kept on the back seat of the car.

"We have arrested the owner of the vehicle Maheswar Parida, 62, who claimed to the be the retired tax collector of Khurda Municipality and the driver of the vehicle, Chandan Behera, 22. We are further verifying their claims," said inspector of Excise Intelligence and Enforcement Bureau, Cuttack, Amarendra Kumar Jena.

The accused later claimed that they procured the contraband from a peddler at Jaleswar in Balasore district. Both the accused also said they had ventured into the trade one year ago to earn quick money. "The duo said they used to procure brown sugar in bulk and distribute it to small traders in Bhubaneswar and Khurda," said an excise official.

Further investigation revealed that the duo had procured the contraband at a cost of Rs 15 lakh, which was paid as an advance.

"The remaining amount of money was paid after the contraband was sold to small traders."

Parida said he entered into the trade to gather money for his daughters marriage.

The police said the root of the peddling racket originated from Balasore and adjoining areas.

"The banned contraband is mostly smuggled into Odisha from states such as Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Bengal. Peddlers procure it from Balasore and its adjoining areas and sell it in Bhubaneswar with hefty margins," an official said.