Gurugram, Mar 20 (IANS): The millennium city is apparently witnessing a rise in illegal trade of marijuana with the police having seized 60 kg of the banned substance worth around Rs 80 lakh in March.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Rajbir Deshwal said: "We have registered 19 FIRs linked to the trade and transportation of contraband. Of this, 17 are linked to marijuana export."

Deshwal said curbing illegal trade and smuggling of the contraband, also called ganja, was a challenge.

"We have issued strict directions to heads of police stations, police posts, the crime branch and intelligence units to keep a close watch on the suspects," he said.

On Tuesday, the crime branch of the Gurugram police arrested a woman, Poonam, a resident of Helimandi near Pataudi town, with 1.7 kg marijuana.

"During interrogation, Poonam revealed she would buy marijuana from Delhi's Subhash Nagar and sell it to regular customers from home and was in this trade for around two years," Deshwal said.

"Her husband Kuldeep Singh was also arrested for the same offence a fortnight ago, he added.

Jugati Yadav, a resident of Dhanwapur, was arrested by the crime branch and 1.05 kg contraband was seized from him. Interestingly, he also bought it from Subhash Nagar, said Deshwal.

The consignment, he said, was transported using Delhi Transport Corporation and Haryana Roadways buses.

Guddu Singh was arrested from the posh sector 53 locality with 250 gram of ganja. Involved in the business for only a month, he claimed association with a syndicate.

The DCP said the target customers of these traders were mostly youth in the 15-40 age group.

As Gurugram has over 170 night clubs, we maintain extra vigil on suspects and the cops rigorously check taxi stands, paan shops and street vendors, Deshwal said.

According to investigations, the maximum quantity of ganja originated from Old Delhi, considered a safe haven for drug mafias. They mostly source it from Uttarakhand. Punjab and Rajasthan are large suppliers of the contraband.