Prohibition spurs narco trade in Bihar; 'nashe ki pudiyas' reach remote villages

Patna, Jan 7 (IANS) The rise in use of narcotics since the enforcement of prohibition in the state has alarmed the Bihar Government.

The Opposition BJP has made repeated allegations regarding the failure of enforcement of prohibition and cornered the Nitish Kumar-led state government on the issue of several illicit liquor deaths coupled with a spike in use of narcotic substances in Bihar.

It is not that the Bihar Police is unaware of the widespread use of narcotic substances such as heroin, opium etc in the state, but the involvement of women and children in consumption and supply of drugs has become an even bigger cause of worry for the state police.

People from other states and small towns who go to big cities like Patna to earn a living are also falling prey to the dangerous menace of drug addiction.

Several people can be found in de-addiction centres in Patna, who have been pushed into the illicit trade despite their refusal to consume, supply or sell drugs within Bihar or to other states in the country.

Worryingly, many of the victims of drug addiction and trafficking in the de-addiction centres are around 14 to 18 years of age.

One of them is a 15-year-old boy who came to work as a peddler while posing to be a student. He initially got addicted to cigarettes and ultimately started smoking marijuana. He made several friends in the big city who started supplying him smack.

By the time the youth's parents came to know about his addiction to drugs, he had already fallen in the trap of consuming and supplying narcotic substances.

Several young boys and girls studying in schools and colleges have also fallen into the clutches of gangs selling, supplying and consuming drugs.

It is said that drug dealers in villages and streets across Bihar have now included women in their nefarious activities. Most of such women live in slums and shanties and it is easy for them to give the cops the slip because they usually stay confined to their homes and are not easy to spot.

According to data, Patna Police registered more than 50 drug trafficking cases in eastern Bihar from January to December 2023 and arrested over 110 people.

Police seized 48.785 kg of ganja, 1,836 gram of smack, 8,022 injections, 45.25 grams of opium, 321 cough syrup vials and other types of narcotic substances during raids and arrests.

A police officer in Patna said, "Continuous action is taken against drug addicts and traffickers. The police have been successful in resolving several cases of drug trafficking. Just two days ago, a youth was arrested with smack from Pirbahore police station area. Before this, a couple selling smack from Kankarbagh area was arrested."

Police officers also say that small peddlers of narcotic substances have been held on the basis of concrete information but arresting big drug smugglers is a challenge as they are more alert and elusive.

Narcotic substances such as charas, ganja, heroin, smack etc are smuggled into Bihar through the districts which share their borders with Nepal.

The hotspots of drug smuggling in Bihar are West Champaran, East Champaran, Sitamarhi, Supaul, Araria, Bagaha and Kishanganj.

There are continuous reports of recovery of drugs across the border area with Nepal as well.

The need of the hour is not only to put an end to the smuggling of drugs but for the parents to keep an eye on the activities of their children as well. It will take the collective efforts of the law enforcement agencies and the community to save the future generations from the menace of drug addiction.