Bihar Police conducted two coordinated anti-narcotics operations in Supaul and Madhubani districts on 26 May, recovering a combined 455 kg of cannabis and arresting five alleged smugglers. The seizures, carried out hours apart, targeted a supply route reportedly running from the Bhutaha area of Madhubani toward Bhagalpur.

The Supaul Seizure: Hidden Compartment, Fleeing Driver

The larger haul was made by Pipra Police Station in Supaul district during a special blockade operation at around 4 am on Monday. A team led by Sub-Inspector Rajiv Kumar Singh set up an intensive checking drive near Singheshwar Road, beyond the railway bridge, acting on confidential intelligence.

Rajesh Kumar Jha, Station House Officer of Pipra Police Station, said: "We received confidential intelligence that a large consignment of narcotics was being transported from the Bhutaha area of Madhubani towards Bhagalpur." When police intercepted a suspicious pickup truck, the driver allegedly attempted to flee before being chased down and apprehended.

A search of the vehicle revealed a concealed compartment built beneath the rear seating and cargo section, where sacks of cannabis had been packed and covered with empty plastic crates to avoid detection. The recovered cannabis weighed 427.95 kg and carried an estimated international market value of approximately ₹1.71 crore, according to police.

The arrested accused was identified as Upendra Kumar Yadav, a resident of Kopa village under the Dulhin Bazar Police Station area in Patna district. According to police, Yadav allegedly confessed during interrogation that the consignment had been collected from Bhutaha and was destined for Bhagalpur. Both the contraband and the pickup truck have been seized, and a case has been registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.

The Madhubani Operation: Bus Intercept on NH-27

In a separate operation, officers from Narahiya Police Station in Madhubani district seized 28 kg of cannabis from a passenger bus at Bhutaha Chowk on NH-27. Police officer Nilesh Kumar said intelligence indicated that four youths travelling from the Araria side were concealing narcotics inside bags on the bus.

Acting on the tip, police cordoned off Bhutaha Chowk and stopped the Maa Durga Bus (registration BR06PF 3694). Officers recovered cannabis from four bags found in the sleeper section of the bus. The seized quantity was formally confirmed at 28 kg after being weighed in the presence of a magistrate.

The four accused — Badri Kumar, Indrajit Kumar, Mukesh Kumar, and Ashish Kumar — were sent to judicial custody after cases were registered under the NDPS Act.

Pattern and Wider Network

The back-to-back operations point to an active trafficking corridor linking the Araria-Bhutaha belt to consumption markets further east in Bhagalpur. Notably, both seizures involved the Bhutaha area as a collection or transit point, suggesting a coordinated supply chain rather than isolated incidents.

Further raids are underway to identify and arrest others allegedly linked to the smuggling network, police said. This is among the largest single-day cannabis seizures reported in Bihar's northern districts in recent months.