Sitamarhi/Patna: A joint team of the Special Task Force (STF) and Sursand police in Sitamarhi district has seized 142.2kg of marijuana allegedly being smuggled from Nepal in a vehicle decorated like a wedding car.
Police said the consignment was concealed inside a car covered with flowers and garlands to avoid suspicion during checking.
Two men were arrested during the operation carried out in the Sursand police station area near the India-Nepal border.
Two brothers arrested
The accused have been identified as Vikas Mahato alias Vikas Kumar and his younger brother Amrit Kumar, both residents of Masaha village under the Parihar police station area.
Police said the two are sons of Umesh Mahato and are suspected of being involved in cross-border marijuana trafficking for an extended period.
A motorcycle and two mobile phones were also seized during the raid.
Marijuana worth over Rs. Two crore seized
Officials said the seized marijuana is estimated to be worth more than Rs. three crore in the international market.
According to investigators, the accused attempted to use the ongoing wedding season as cover, believing vehicles decorated for marriage processions would attract less scrutiny during police checks.
STF officials said that while such concealment methods have been seen before, the quantity recovered in this case was significant.
Probe into interstate links
During questioning, Vikas Mahato allegedly told investigators that marijuana was regularly brought from Nepal and supplied to multiple districts in Bihar.
The STF suspects the accused may have links with a wider interstate smuggling network. Police said efforts are underway to identify other individuals connected to the operation.
Case registered under NDPS Act
An FIR has been registered at Sursand police station under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.
Sursand Station House Officer Lal Kishore Gupta said police acted on specific intelligence inputs regarding a large consignment entering from Nepal.
“Based on the information received, the vehicle was intercepted and searched, leading to the recovery of cannabis,” he said.
Officials added that further investigation into the supply chain and financial links is ongoing.
