Police seized 4744 lt of foreign liquor, 8 arrested

Hajipur: Police have seized 539 cartons of India made foreign liquor from a truck in Vaishali district of Bihar and arrested eight persons who are part of a syndicate involved in smuggling alcohol in the state, police said today.

With prohibition in force in the state the Bihar police and excise officials have been on the look out to check smuggling of liquor from other states in view of the new year celebrations.

Acting on a tip off, police late last night intercepted a truck coming from Gurdaspur in Punjab near Mansurpur village on NH 77 in Vaishali district and seized 4744 litres of IMFL kept in 539 cartons, superintendent of police Rakesh Kumar said today.

Police have also seized the truck, two vehicles, three mobile phones apart from Rs 6.97 lakh cash from the arrested, the SP said.

Of the eight arrested persons, two hailed from Firozpur district of Punjab while six others, including a man and his son belonged to Vaishli district.

Kumar said that the liquor smugglers had formed a syndicate through which they were carrying out their business of selling liquor in Vaishali, Muzaffarpur, Saran and Samastipur districts.

The Bihar government enforced prohibition in the state in April 2016 under which sale, consumption, manufacturing, trading, storage, transportation, possession is banned.

As per the new liquor law, the guilty could attract a minimum 10 years of jail term which may extend to imprisonment for life besides fine from Rs one lakh to Rs 10 lakh.

PTI