Patna, Nov. 15: More than a decade has passed since the people of over a dozen villages in Kaimur and Rohtas districts last saw a baraat (marriage party) leaving these hamlets.

No father is ready to marry off his daughter to any youth from these villages, even if the prospective groom is educated or wealthy. For, most of the youngsters are addicted to drugs such as heroin.

Substance abuse has assumed an alarming proportion in the Rohtas-Kaimur belt with the region acting as a transit point of drug peddling from Nepal and Bangladesh through Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand.

A police team, led by Rohtas superintendent of police Manu Maharaj, raided a fruit shop near Dehri railway station yesterday and seized around 1kg brown sugar valued at Rs 2 crore in the international market.

“The consignment was seized when it was to be delivered to a conduit,” Maharaj said.

During the operation, two dealers, identified as Munna Raj and Muni Lal Singh, were arrested. Raj is the brother of a drug peddler of Rohtas-Kaimur region, Rahman Mian.

Police said Raj admitted that he was working for drug mafia Kallu Mian and Bulaki Kahar.

While Kallu is at present lodged in Sasaram jail, Kahar is out on bail.

“Raj has been arrested the first time though he was involved in the illegal trade for the past four-five years,” the SP said.

During interrogation, Raj told the police that the consignment was brought to Patna from Nepal before bring supplied to other parts of the country, including Bengal, Uttaranchal and Himachal Pradesh.

“Raj’s name also figured during a raid on a drug peddling centre in Patna,” Maharaj told The Telegraph.

He said the drug peddling network was strong in Bihar. “We are trying to collect detailed information about the racket,” the SP said, adding that Sasaram had a history of drug peddling.

He added: “What is shocking is that the trade has affected the youths the most.”

Director-general of police Abhayanand said: “There is a narcotics cell under an additional director-general-rank officer at the state police headquarters.”

“The cell processes secret information on people engaged in illegal trade of narcotics. So far, we have been able to catch only the carriers. But we want to catch the kingpins,” he said, adding that the cell would be strengthened.

A social activist and JD(U) Mahadalit cell vice-president, Ashok Paswan, said the situation in the Rohtas-Kaimur region deteriorated to such an extent that the residents of several villages under Dawat police station in Rohtas district boycotted families involved in the illegal trade.

“Around 50-60 per cent youths have taken to drugs,” he said, adding that following protests, the addiction reduced by 20 per cent in the past two years.

Heroin is sold openly at local grocery shops in rural areas. “It is easily available in the shops. In some villages, pouches of liquor have replaced packets of heroin and even cost less,” Paswan said.

Though majority of youngsters between 14 and 30 are addicted to drugs, the Rajput youth are the worst sufferers.

Ram Jas Singh Kushwaha, the mukhiya of Kohari panchayat under Bhabua block in Kaimur district, said:

“No father wants to get his daughter married to youths in over a dozen villages under Mohania and Bhabua blocks of the district, as on an average, 60 per cent of the youths, particularly belonging to the Rajput community, are drug addicts.”

Drug peddlers hold sway in villages such as Rajgarh, Gorsara, Gamhor, Bare, Bhairopur, Biriahria and Amwah.

“Initially, the youths took to drugs and later, took peddling as profession,” Kushwaha told The Telegraph over phone today. He added that Ramgarh and Mohania are the main centres of narcotics deals in Kaimur district.

The situation can be gauged from the fact that a police team recently conducted a raid at a readymade garments shop and seized narcotics worth over Rs 10 lakh.

“Drug peddling is flourishing in the region. It works on less risk-more profit policy,” Kushwaha said.