Patna, May 26 : Bihar Police carried out two major anti-narcotics operations in Supaul and Madhubani districts, recovering more than 455 kg of ganja and arresting five alleged smugglers.

The first operation was conducted by Pipra Police Station in Supaul district, where police recovered 427.95 kg of cannabis from a pickup vehicle during a special blockade operation.

Rajesh Kumar Jha, SHO of Pipra Police Station, said: â??We received confidential intelligence that a large consignment of narcotics was being transported from the Bhutaha area of Madhubani towards Bhagalpur.â??

Following the tip-off, a special police team led by Sub-Inspector Rajiv Kumar Singh launched an intensive checking drive near Singheshwar Road beyond the railway bridge at around 4 a.m. on Monday.

During the operation, police intercepted a suspicious pickup truck whose driver allegedly attempted to flee after spotting the blockade.

Police personnel chased and surrounded the vehicle before taking it into custody.

During the search, police discovered a concealed compartment built beneath the rear seating and cargo section of the vehicle.

The hidden cavity allegedly contained sacks filled with cannabis, which had been covered with empty plastic crates to avoid suspicion.

Police said the recovered narcotics weighed 427.95 kg and had an estimated international market value of around Rs 1.71 crore.

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, the accused allegedly confessed during interrogation that the consignment had been collected from Bhutaha and was being transported to Bhagalpur.

Police have seized both the contraband and the pickup truck and registered a case under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.

Further raids are underway to identify and arrest others allegedly linked to the smuggling network.

In a separate operation, police from Narahiya Police Station in Madhubani district seized 28 kg of cannabis from a passenger bus during a raid at Bhutaha Chowk on NH-27.

Police officer Nilesh Kumar said police had received information that four youths travelling on a bus from the Araria side were carrying narcotics concealed inside bags.

Acting on the intelligence, police cordoned off Bhutaha Chowk and stopped a passenger bus named Maa Durga Bus bearing registration number BR06PF 3694.

During the search, officers recovered large quantities of cannabis from four bags kept by passengers seated in the sleeper section of the bus.

Police later weighed the seized narcotics in the presence of a magistrate and confirmed the total quantity at 28 kg.

The arrested accused were identified as Badri Kumar, Indrajit Kumar, Mukesh Kumar and Ashish Kumar.

Police said all four had been sent to judicial custody after cases were registered under the NDPS Act.

/IANS