Patna, Sept. 28: Smugglers have now taken to using military compartments of several long distance trains to ferry consignments of contraband articles in Bihar.

This became evident after around 40kg of marijuana was seized from the possession of two men in Bhojpur district yesterday. The men in military uniform were carrying the contraband in bags, which are mainly used by defence personnel.

The men in question — Jai Prakash Singh and Umesh Singh — both residents of Nawadaben village in Bhojpur district, were carrying identity cards of the Indian Army and mostly travelled in military compartments of long distance trains.

“A police team intercepted the duo when they were about to proceed towards their native village after alighting from the Amritsar Mail at Ara railway station early on Tuesday morning. A search of their bags yielded 40kg marijuana,” said Bhojpur superintendent of police (SP) M.R. Naik.

“Our men were surprised to see the two smugglers wearing military uniform and carrying with them Army identity cards, which later turned out to be fake ,” the SP said, adding that they were carrying the consignment to their native place in Bhojpur district from Orissa. During interrogation, Jai Prakash and Umesh disclosed that it was their fourth attempt to deliver the consignment to a Bhojpur-based gang from Orissa.

“We normally use military compartments for transportation of heroin and ganja,” a police officer, Sushil Kumar, quoted the two drug peddlers as saying. He said neither the Railway Protection Force nor Government Railway Police personnel ever search the military compartments. “As a result, these smugglers travel in the military compartments without any hindrance,” he added. The SP said it was being ascertained whether the arrested persons had links in the army. The two were mainly involved in the supply of heroin and marijuana. “Normally the policemen don’t intercept army personnel and allow them to move in the vicinity of railway stations, even at odd hours,” he added.

But in this case, the police had received a tip-off about the involvement of two local residents in the narcotics deal. “The police have also been tipped about the supply of contraband articles by long distance buses. We have already alerted our cops,” Naik told The Telegraph.

Bhojpur and neighbouring Buxar districts are notorious for supply of ganja not only in Bihar but also in other parts of the country. Recently, a Bhojpur police team seized around 200kg of marijuana.

A senior criminal investigation department officer said the Lohardaga police seized around 14kg marijuana from a Gaya-bound bus last Monday. He said the department has been tipped off about transportation of contraband articles by long distance buses coming to Bihar from Jharkhand and Nepal.