PRAYAGRAJ, July 1 -- The seizure of narcotics worth nearly Rs 2 crore within a week in Prayagraj and adjoining districts has highlighted the growing challenge posed by the illegal drug trade in the region. Large consignments of ganja, codeine-based cough syrup, smack and methamphetamine being intercepted at regular intervals point to the existence of an organised and well-connected trafficking network operating across district and state borders. On June 26, the Special Task Force (STF) seized nearly 439 kg of ganja from a mini-truck in Prayagraj. The consignment, valued at around Rs 1.10 crore in the international market, was allegedly being transported from Odisha to Prayagraj. A day earlier, on June 25, a joint team of the Government Railway Police (GRP) and Railway Protection Force (RPF) arrested a smuggler at Chhivki railway station and recovered 477 bottles of banned codeine-based cough syrup. The two seizures indicate that traffickers are using both road and rail routes to transport narcotics into the region. Earlier, on April 17, a joint team of Daraganj police and the Special Operations Group (SOG) arrested two alleged smugglers near the Daraganj crematorium and recovered 77 grams of smack worth about Rs 7.77 lakh. In another operation on March 26, the same police team arrested Sonu Nishad, a resident of Bakshi Bandh, and seized 110 grams of smack valued at around Rs 11 lakh. Likewise, In a major crackdown on June 8, Pratapgarh police busted an alleged drug trafficking network and arrested five persons. Police recovered 202.31 grams of methamphetamine (MD) drugs, estimated to be worth nearly Rs 1 crore. The scale of the challenge is reflected in Operation Dahan, under which Kaushambi destroyed 1,806 kg of narcotics between March and May, the highest in Prayagraj Zone, followed by Prayagraj Commissionerate (1,767 kg). Chitrakoot, Pratapgarh, Banda, Fatehpur, Hamirpur and Mahoba also destroyed substantial quantities. Police said traffickers source drugs from Odisha and Jharkhand. ADG Jyoti Narayan said the campaign is underway across all seven districts, while DCP Manish Shandilya said syndicates are being identified and dismantled....