NCB destroyed 1,170.15 kg of seized narcotics worth Rs 4.54 crore in Patna, Bihar, across four cases to prevent their recirculation in September (Credit: NCB's X)
Punjab is set to go to polls in 2027, and the BJP, seeking to form its first government in the state, has made the drug menace a major election issue. The party has been targeting the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) over its handling of the problem. Union home minister Amit Shah has even promised to make Punjab "drug-free" by December 2029 if the BJP comes to power.But AAP has hit back. Its national convener Arvind Kejriwal questioned the BJP over the drug problem in states where it is in power, including Bihar, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Goa, asking why the same deadline had not been set for them.The political exchange has also put the focus on Bihar, where alcohol has been banned for a decade but recent drug seizures have raised fresh concerns. More than 4.13 lakh intoxicating injections were seized in Patna in the first eight months of 2026, while investigations have uncovered heroin consignments, codeine-based cough syrup and networks involved in preparing and distributing narcotics.But what do these seizures actually reveal? Is Bihar witnessing a rise in drug consumption, or is the state increasingly becoming a transit route for narcotics headed elsewhere? And has a decade of prohibition had any bearing on the availability and use of other intoxicants? Here's what the data reveals
Does Bihar have a new drug problem?
More than 4.13 lakh intoxicating injections seized in Patna in the first eight months of 2026.
A sharp rise in smack seizures. Growing quantities of codeine-based cough syrup being intercepted. Across Bihar, recent drug seizures and investigations point to a changing narcotics landscape, raising questions about what is entering the state, where it is going and who is using it.But do these seizures signal a growing drug problem within Bihar, or are they exposing the scale of a trafficking network that uses the state as a transit route? Police have traced consignments from the Northeast and Nepal-linked routes, while investigations in Patna have uncovered alleged local networks involved in preparing and distributing narcotics.The answers are not straightforward. Five years of seizure data show sharp fluctuations rather than a consistent rise across substances. Meanwhile, a debate over Bihar’s liquor prohibition has raised another question about whether the use of alternative intoxicants has changed since the ban came into force in 2016.What do the numbers reveal?Bihar’s drug seizure data over five years shows that ganja accounted for the largest quantities seized among the major narcotics listed, while seizures of heroin fluctuated sharply. Ganja seizures rose from 16,607 kg in 2020 to 33,603 kg in 2021, before falling to 23,023 kg in 2022 and 13,129 kg in 2023. They increased again to 18,356 kg in 2024.Heroin seizures fell from 363.77 kg in 2020 to 9.62 kg in 2021, before rising to 31.13 kg in 2022, 27.37 kg in 2023 and 53.35 kg in 2024. Hashish seizures also varied, peaking at 395.12 kg in 2021 before declining to 195 kg in 2024.A person whose circle consumes drugs said, on the condition of anonymity, that marijuana remained the most widely consumed substance in their social circle and that they had not noticed a significant shift in preferences towards other drugs.“In most circles, marijuana is most widely consumed, and I don't think synthetic drugs have made their way to Bihar,” the person said.The data records smaller seizures of other substances, including ATS, cocaine and LSD in certain years. While these figures show fluctuations in the quantities of narcotics seized, they do not establish a steady year-on-year rise in drug trafficking or consumption. Seizure figures reflect what enforcement agencies intercept and, on their own, cannot establish how many people use drugs or whether drug abuse is increasing in Bihar.
Where are the drugs coming from?
Police say a significant share of narcotics reaching Patna comes from the Northeast. The routes and methods of transportation vary according to the size of a consignment.Investigations have also pointed to supply chains passing through multiple states. In September, four people were arrested near JP Setu in Patna with 274 gm of heroin. Police traced the consignment to Assam, from where it allegedly travelled to Tamkuhi in Kushinagar, Uttar Pradesh, before being sent towards Patna.Bihar’s location along the Nepal border adds another dimension to the problem. On October 25, Motihari Police, in a joint operation with the Bihar Special Task Force, seized smack valued at Rs 4 crore near Raxaul, close to the India-Nepal border.
Cops suggest that drugs in Bihar enters from multiple states
In a separate operation, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence’s Muzaffarpur unit and the Bihar STF busted a suspected network involved in smuggling Nepal-origin charas into India. Two people were arrested and 5.14 kg of charas, valued by officials at Rs 5.14 crore, was seized. Investigators said the consignment was intended for onward transportation to Indore in Madhya Pradesh.The cases point to Bihar’s role as a route for narcotics moving between regions. However, seizures along transport corridors do not establish how much of the intercepted supply is consumed within the state.
Is the trade limited to transportation?
Police investigations suggest that local networks are also involved in storage, preparation and distribution.In March, police found a rented room in Patna’s Ramakrishna Nagar area allegedly being used to prepare smack. A flat in Alamganj was allegedly used for distribution. Police recovered 1.68 kg of brown sugar and cash, along with cheques worth around Rs 70 lakh issued in the name of a police officer.The trade is not confined to substances traditionally associated with narcotics smuggling. Pharmaceutical products have also featured in investigations. In May, the DRI seized 7,500 bottles of codeine-based cough syrup from a pickup van outside Patna’s Rajendra Nagar Terminal. Investigators found that the consignee’s drug licence had been cancelled and that the firm did not exist at its stated address.Such cases raise questions about how pharmaceutical products enter illicit supply chains, how they are distributed and whether existing monitoring systems are able to detect diversion from legitimate channels.A Patna high court order has raised questions about how narcotics can travel long distances before being intercepted.In an order dated September 15, the court expressed concern over two minor boys who had travelled from Assam to Bihar in a car without a registration certificate. The vehicle was intercepted near Patna, and the directorate of revenue intelligence recovered more than 60 kg of cannabis from a concealed compartment.The court questioned how the vehicle had travelled uninterrupted from Assam to Bihar while carrying a commercial quantity of cannabis.Has prohibition changed pattern of substance use?Bihar banned the sale and consumption of alcohol in April 2016 under a policy introduced by the Nitish Kumar government. The prohibition was intended, among other objectives, to reduce domestic violence and encourage households to spend money on more productive needs.A research paper by the National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER), titled Macro Perspective of Bihar's Development Achievements, Unfinished Agenda, and the Way Forward, has questioned whether the ban achieved its intended outcomes.The paper said reported crimes against women had not declined following prohibition and that total reported crimes against women increased over the post-2016 period. It also pointed to concerns about the expansion of illicit liquor trade, enforcement challenges, corruption and the use of alternative intoxicants, including illicit drugs."In tandem, there was a significant rise in illegal liquor trade leading to higher alcohol consumption, increased crime and corruption, and an increase in the use of alternative additive substances, such as illicit drugs," the paper said.The authors argued that Bihar should reconsider prohibition and restore alcohol excise duty to historical levels. They estimated that doing so could increase the state’s own revenues by 14-15%.Some residents also believe prohibition may be one factor behind the availability of other intoxicants, although personal accounts cannot establish a direct link between the ban and drug consumption.“I would argue that it is a byproduct of the prohibition in the state, but that isn't the full picture,” another person who spoke on condition of anonymity said, referring to the perceived increase in drug availability.The person said their observations were based on the experiences of people in their social circle who use drugs, adding that young people and those in their 30s appeared to be among the users they had noticed.“In a state like Bihar, with a large chunk of youth population that haven't so far been backed with job opportunities, [this] has also contributed to the rise of drug consumption in the state,” the person said.They also flagged a lack of awareness about addiction and the support available to people who use drugs.“I feel like there is a lack of awareness against remedial methods, like what to do if someone you know has become addicted to drugs, what are you supposed to do then. I feel like there is a lack of rehabilitation system and awareness among the people needed to curb the drug menace,” the person said.
Is Bihar seeing a rise in consumption or a rise in detection?
The distinction matters because seizures measure what enforcement agencies intercept, not the total volume of drugs entering the market or being consumed.Bihar’s prohibition and narcotics enforcement policies also form part of a wider debate over how the state measures the effectiveness of its policing. A rise in seizures can reflect an increase in trafficking, improved detection or a combination of both.Bihar minister Madan Sahni has rejected the charge that rising seizures indicate a failure of prohibition. He said the increase was not confined to Bihar but was a phenomenon seen in other states as well."I must say that due to the alertness of the officials concerned, the quantity of the seizure of substances prohibited under the NDPS Act has increased in the state, but at the same time, people should know that the majority of the prohibited substances seized in Bihar are meant for supply to other states," he said.Sahni added that intercepting consignments within Bihar could create the impression that the drugs were intended for local consumption, even when they were being transported elsewhere. He also defended prohibition, saying it had been successful.The minister’s argument points to an important gap in the available figures. Without comparable data on drug use, treatment demand, drug-related health emergencies and the destinations of intercepted consignments, it is difficult to determine how much of the rise reflects local consumption.
RJD MP Manoj Kumar Jha, meanwhile, cited a media report and said the situation was out of control."An entire generation has been ruined. This is what happens when the government has no control. The situation here is completely out of control..." he said.
Does Bihar have a new drug problem?
Bihar’s recent seizure figures and investigations point to a changing narcotics landscape. Police have reported sharp increases in some categories, identified supply routes running through several states and uncovered alleged local networks involved in preparation and distribution. Seizures near the Nepal border have also highlighted the state’s role in cross-border trafficking.But the central question remains unresolved. Is Bihar facing a growing drug-consumption problem, a trafficking problem that extends beyond its borders, or both?
Aastha Jha is a writer at The Times of India, covering politics. She also writes on business, global affairs, social issues, with a focus on policy, governance and their impact on everyday lives. Her work brings together reportage and analysis, tracking developments in India and abroad while examining the broader social and economic currents shaping public discourse.