Our Bureau/

In dry scenario of Bihar, the demands of narcotics mainly like marijuana (ganja) are on hike. Rampant smugglings have increased alarmingly. The smugglers mostly influential persons having political connections from the state now have started venturing in such activities.

This exactly reflected in the confessional statement of one Dharmendra Sha a native of Chapra district and the driver of the truck which was caught by  Bhagalpur police  last night with the consignment of ganja worth not less than Rs 56 lakh.

Actually the entire episode was done with the help of Bhagalpur police,  the team of STF from Patna recovered 809 Kg smuggled marijuana (ganja) which was on way to Patna from Agartalla (Tripura) via Godda-Bhagalpur routes.

Senior superintendent of police (SSP), Bhagalpur, Manoj Kumar said that STF, Patna had the information of the consignment coming from Tripura to Patna via Godda Bhagalpur routes. It informed the matter to EOU, Bihar which constituted a team with STF, Patna and also urged Kumar for proper help and coordination.

“We deployed police forces and at around 10 pm last night  when heavy vehicles started entering in city areas after no entry, we somehow intercepted the information that one truck (WB15A-8596) coming from Godda side with the consignment of ganja,” Kumar said.  “ When SHO, Tilka Manjhi PS, Sanjoy Satharthi who was also in the team of Bhagalpur police, stopped the truck on NH-80. After checking the truck  the consignments were recovered from the cabin of the truck,” Kumar told today. According to him the estimated cost of the recovered item is more than Rs 56 Lakhs in local markets.

The driver and helper of the truck in police custody.

The driver of the truck, Dharmendra Sha of Chapra along with his helper, Prabin Yadav of Munger was arrested. They narrated before the police that the owner of the truck is one Sunil Yadav of Hooghly district of Bengal. “ On the instruction of the owner, the consignment was loaded at Agartalla and we are on way to Fathua of Patna district. The consignment was purchased by one Ramprabesh Rai alias Mama, a native of Fathua in Patna and we were going to handed the materials to him at Fathua,” Dharmendra told police during interrogation.

After the liquor ban in Bihar, use of such narcotic items gradually started raising and many  places in the state become the main hubs but the influential mafias mostly at Patna  who also have political connections, have started their brisk business of the such narcotics like ganja, said a STF officer.

Earlier, such heavy consignments of Ganja was recovered at Purnea by local police there. “Really it’s a matter of concern. We somehow managed to counter liquor but such items create further problems here,” admitted a top ranking cop here.