Bhubaneswar, May 8: Police arrested a 27-year-old woman from Haladi Padia slum for allegedly selling brown sugar and seized 10.5gm of the drug from her.

The police said the husband of the accused, Meena alias Haseena Begum, had been arrested earlier on similar charges. Meena was arrested during a raid on the slum, which has been a haven for peddlers, after a tip-off.

In November 2015, excise sleuths had arrested her husband, Mustaq Ahmed, who hails from Midnapore in Bengal, and seized 73gms of brown sugar, estimated to cost Rs 8 lakh.

The cops are also on the lookout for four other women involved in the trade. Recent investigations have revealed that several peddlers supplied the contraband to women in the slum, who sold it to customers.

"The peddlers offer Rs 20 to Rs 30 per sachet to women as commission. Each sachet is sold for Rs 200 to Rs 300. Peddlers in the slum use women to avoid attention," said a police official. Sources said a number of women were involved in the trade at Salia Sahi and Haladi Padia slums.

"We have been keeping tabs on brown sugar traders even after they are released on bail. So, they engage women, mostly their family members, to hoodwink us," he said.

Minors rescued

Police today rescued four minors a week after 12 of them had escaped from Ruchika Help Line, a government-aided shelter home in Bhubaneswar.

The minors were rescued from Cuttack and Bhubaneswar. Earlier, the cops had rescued one of the escaped from Bhubaneswar railway station.

"Based on the statement of the minor who was rescued earlier, the Government Railway Police and shelter home officials found two minors at Cuttack railway station," said Child Welfare Committee, Khurda, member Benudhar Senapati.

"The other two minors were rescued from Banki in Cuttack district and Bhub-aneswar railway station," he said. The panel has also directed the shelter home to take measures to prevent such incidents in future.