A block in Vaishali district located around 30km north of Patna has emerged as the new hub of the ganja trade in Bihar. Narcotic sleuths have identified around 40 villages in Bidupur block where many residents are indulging in the illegal trade.

Earlier, Masaarh village in Bhojpur district was considered the marijuana hub but regular crackdowns against drug traffickers there have led to a marked decline in the drug trade in the village.

Alarmed over the new trend, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has decided to launch a special awareness drive in the Bidupur area to make the people aware of the laws they are violating after being promised easy money by the drug traffickers, and also the ill-effects of the drug.

'The beginning will be made during the Sonepur fair which is visited by people from across the state, including Vaishali district. We will set up a stall in the fair,' said NCB zonal director T.N. Singh.

He said after the festive season, a more concentrated awareness drive will be lanched in the Bidupur area.

The NCB has also witnessed a surge in seizure of ganja and other drugs since July. At a meeting with senior state police officers in June, it was decided that the bureau would work in close association with the Economic Offences Unit and the special task force for carrying out operations against drug traffickers.

'The concerted efforts of the three agencies has led to a sharp increase in seizure being made in the state and now on an average 2,000 to 3,000kg of ganja is seized every month in the state whereas the average monthly seizure used to be between 300 and 500kg per month when the state and central agencies were working separately against the drug cartel in the state,' Singh said.

The NCB has also identified a few Bihari families that have settled in Tripura and Manipur and whose members play an active role in supplying narcotics to the state.

The ganja suppliers have come up with a new modus operandi for supplying the contraband to the state - using courier services.

Recently, one such consignment was seized from Patna in which 100kg of ganja had been sent to Bihar by courier.

'During interrogation, Shankar, the person arrested, revealed that such consignments were coming for the past two three months and courier service was being used as it neither involved use of any vehicle nor manpower,' revealed NCB zonal director Singh.