Patna, Dec 13 The Bihar Excise Department on Saturday carried out a major operation, seizing a large consignment of foreign liquor being smuggled from Haryana for sale during the New Year celebrations.
The driver of the pickup truck transporting the liquor was arrested on the spot.
Excise Inspector Deepak Kumar said he had received a tip-off that a large consignment of foreign liquor had entered Muzaffarpur via Uttar Pradesh and was being transported in a pickup truck towards Sitamarhi.
Acting on the information, a special Excise Department team was constituted, and a roadblock was set up near Janar Chowk under the Aurai police station area on the Muzaffarpur–Sitamarhi main road.
“When the team signalled the pickup truck, which was moving from Muzaffarpur towards Sitamarhi, to stop, the driver attempted to flee. However, after a chase, the excise team successfully intercepted the vehicle,” he said.
The pickup truck was found loaded with a large quantity of foreign liquor, which had been concealed under household goods.
The driver, identified as Rinku Kumar, a resident of Shyamnagar in Farrukhabad district of Uttar Pradesh, was arrested at the spot.
Excise Inspector Deepak Kumar said that further action is being taken after questioning the arrested driver, and efforts are underway to identify others involved in the liquor smuggling racket.
Earlier on Friday, a team of Muzaffarpur police intercepted a luxury car near the Pokhrera toll plaza under the Karja police station area and seized a large quantity of illegal foreign liquor.
Two liquor smugglers, including the owner of the vehicle, were arrested at the spot.
Station House Officer Deepak Kumar Singh said police received confidential information that a white luxury car carrying a large consignment of illegal liquor was coming from Uttar Pradesh via Chhapra to Muzaffarpur.
Taking the information seriously, a special police team was immediately constituted, and an intensive checking drive was launched near the Pokhrera toll plaza.
During the operation, when the suspicious vehicle was stopped and searched, police found that the smugglers had adopted a clever method to conceal the liquor.
Several cartons were hidden beneath the car seats and inside the boot. In total, 11 cartons of illegal foreign liquor were recovered from the vehicle.
The arrested accused have been identified as Sumir Kumar, the owner of the car, and Sushant Kumar, a liquor trader.
Both are residents of Sitamarhi district, and interrogation revealed that they are cousins.
The SHO said that continuous surveillance and special drives are being conducted across all police station areas of the district to ensure strict implementation of Bihar’s total prohibition policy.
“This action is part of those ongoing efforts,” he said.
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