Bihar STF seizes ₹2 crore opium in East Champaran, 4 held
Synopsis
Bihar's STF and police intercepted a white car on NH-27 in East Champaran and pulled 10.54 kg of opium — worth nearly ₹2 crore — from a hidden compartment. Four alleged members of a Jharkhand-to-Bihar drug supply chain are now in custody, and investigators say the full network is still being mapped.
Key Takeaways
10.54 kg of opium worth nearly ₹2 crore was seized from a car on NH-27 in East Champaran, Bihar on 13 June .
A joint team of the STF and Dumariyaghat police made the recovery from a secret compartment built into the vehicle.
Four accused — Sajan Kumar Yadav , Munna Kumar Yadav , Anuj Kumar Sao , and alleged supplier Jitendra Chaudhary — have been arrested.
The gang allegedly smuggled narcotics from Jharkhand into Bihar over an extended period.
All four are charged under multiple sections of the NDPS Act ; police say the broader interstate network remains under investigation.
Police and the Special Task Force (STF) cracked down on an interstate drug trafficking network in East Champaran district, Bihar, on 13 June, seizing 10.54 kilograms of opium valued at nearly ₹2 crore from a car on NH-27 under the Dumariyaghat police station area. Four members of the alleged smuggling ring have been arrested in connection with the operation.
How the Operation Unfolded
The crackdown was triggered by a confidential tip-off received by the STF, indicating that a large consignment of opium was being transported from Jharkhand into Bihar. Acting on the intelligence, a joint team of STF personnel and Dumariyaghat police deployed intensive vehicle checking near the Narsingh Baba Temple on NH-27.
During the checks, the team intercepted a white car and recovered the contraband from a specially designed secret compartment built into the vehicle — a concealment method commonly used to evade routine police detection. Three occupants of the car were arrested on the spot.
Who Was Arrested
The three individuals detained from the vehicle have been identified as Sajan Kumar Yadav (21), a resident of Sikid in Chatra district, Jharkhand; Munna Kumar Yadav (24), a resident of Singhwari Ward-4, also in Chatra district, Jharkhand; and Anuj Kumar Sao (27), a resident of Hiri Bagicha, Mohanpur in Gaya district.
During subsequent interrogation, the accused reportedly disclosed the identity of their alleged supplier. Police then arrested a fourth suspect, Jitendra Chaudhary, a resident of Saraiya Khas under the Govindganj police station area in East Champaran. Investigators said he was responsible for supplying the opium to the smuggling network.
Scope of the Trafficking Network
According to police officials, the gang had allegedly been involved in ferrying narcotics from Jharkhand into Bihar for an extended period. A case has been registered against all four accused under multiple sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act at Dumariyaghat police station.
The investigating officer confirmed that the network's links, supply chain, and other associates remain under active investigation. Police teams are working to dismantle the broader interstate racket.
What Officials Said
East Champaran Superintendent of Police Swarn Prabhat congratulated the STF and police teams for the successful operation, reiterating the district administration's commitment to eliminating the narcotics trade. He said strict action against drug traffickers would continue and that all necessary measures would be taken to dismantle such criminal networks completely.
This operation is part of a wider push by Bihar's law enforcement to intercept narcotics flowing in along established smuggling corridors from neighbouring states. Further arrests are expected as the probe widens.
Point of View
Complete with vehicles fitted with custom concealment chambers. The fact that the alleged supplier was based in East Champaran itself suggests the network had local roots, not just transit links. Bihar's STF has notched several drug busts along the NH-27 corridor in recent years, yet the pipeline keeps flowing, raising questions about whether interdiction alone — without dismantling the financial layer that funds these runs — can deliver lasting disruption. The real measure of this operation's success will be how far investigators follow the money and the supply chain, not just the four people already in custody.
NationPress
29 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What was seized in the East Champaran drug bust?
Police and the STF seized 10.54 kilograms of opium valued at nearly ₹2 crore from a white car on NH-27 in East Champaran, Bihar. The contraband was hidden in a specially designed secret compartment inside the vehicle.
Who were the four people arrested in the Bihar opium case?
The four arrested are Sajan Kumar Yadav (21) and Munna Kumar Yadav (24), both from Chatra district in Jharkhand; Anuj Kumar Sao (27) from Gaya district; and alleged supplier Jitendra Chaudhary from the Govindganj police station area in East Champaran. All four have been charged under the NDPS Act.
Where was the opium being smuggled from and to?
According to investigators, the opium was being transported from Jharkhand into Bihar. The gang allegedly operated this interstate trafficking route for an extended period before being intercepted on NH-27.
What legal action has been taken against the accused?
A case has been registered against all four accused under various sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act at Dumariyaghat police station. The investigation into the broader network, including other associates and the supply chain, is ongoing.
What did East Champaran SP Swarn Prabhat say about the operation?
Superintendent of Police Swarn Prabhat congratulated the STF and police teams and reaffirmed the district administration's commitment to eliminating the narcotics trade. He said strict action against drug traffickers would continue and all necessary steps would be taken to dismantle such criminal networks.
