Patna: The economic offences unit (EOU) of the state police has tightened its noose around alleged narcotics dealer Ram Pravesh Rai.

Ram Pravesh, a member of the Vaishali district board, came under the scanner of the EOU following the seizure of over 800kg of ganja (marijuana) from a truck from Tilka Manjhi Chowk in Bhagalpur district on November 12. The consignment was booked allegedly by Ram Pravesh, a resident of Jethuli village in Patna rural, from Agartala in Tripura. During interrogation, the driver Dharmendra Sao and his assistant Praveen Kumar revealed that the consignment was to be delivered to Ram Pravesh's house.

During the search of the house, EOU officials recovered Rs 54 lakh in cash which was allegedly to be handed over to the supplier of the consignment. Ram Pravesh, however, managed to dodge the raiding team. The police raided another house of his at Raghopur in Vaishali. Preliminary probe revealed Ram Pravesh had accumulated wealth worth crores of rupees in Patna, Samastipur and Vaishali, allegedly through illegal means.

"The EOU is collecting details of the drug trafficker's ill-gotten property. He was in the illegal trade for over a decade. Two cases under the narcotic drugs and psychotropic substance Act were earlier lodged with Khushrupur and Fatuha police stations in Patna," said a senior EOU official.

He said the EOU would initiate the process of confiscating the alleged drug dealer's property after getting documentary evidence. Bidupur in Vaishali has of late emerged as the epi-centre of smuggling of ganja in the state.