Dumka: Sahibganj police have arrested three interstate drug smugglers and seized 1.003 kg of brown sugar, a white SUV allegedly used for smuggling, and three mobile phones, officials said on Wednesday.The arrests followed a tip-off that people from Kaliachak in West Bengal and Bihar had gathered near Kesro village under Ranga police station to facilitate a brown sugar deal.Acting on the information, a raid team was formed under Barharwa SDPO Nitin Khandelwal, with Ranga police station officer-in charge Akhilesh Kumar Yadav and armed personnel among its members. The operation was launched after verification of the input and deployment along likely movement routes during the early morning hours, officials said.Around 4 am on Tuesday, the team signalled a white SUV near Kesro to stop. Police said the driver tried to flee, but personnel chased and intercepted the vehicle. The three occupants were detained and searched, leading to the recovery of 1.003 kg of brown sugar.The arrested accused were identified as Aman Raj of Tiri under Baijnathpur police station in Saharsa district, Bihar; Gulshan Kumar of Rajpur Sarsandi under Golpara police station in Madhepura district, Bihar; and Shivam Mishra of Baliadanga Sarkesh Math in the Kaliachak area of Malda district, West Bengal.According to police, the accused told investigators they procured brown sugar from Kaliachak and supplied it at higher prices in Bihar, Jharkhand and other states.“The seizure of 1.003 kg of brown sugar and the arrest of three interstate smugglers is a major success for Sahibganj police. Our campaign against the drug trade will continue with the objective of making the district drug-free,” SDPO Nitin Khandelwal said while briefing the media late on Tuesday.Police said interrogation also yielded information about other members of the alleged network. Shivam Mishra reportedly disclosed the names of suspected smugglers from Kaliachak and Bihar. Raids are underway to trace and arrest them.