Patna: Over 600 people were arrested and more than 260 FIRs were lodged during a special police drive against illicit liquor smugglers in the districts falling under Patna zone, which ended on Tuesday.

Inspector-general (Patna zone) Nayyar Hasnain Khan said 677 people were arrested during 859 raids conducted under Shahabad, Patna and Magadh ranges comprising Patna, Nalanda, Gaya, Nawada, Aurangabad, Jehanabad, Rohtas, Arwal, Kaimur, Bhojpur and Buxar districts.

The police detected 69 illegal liquor manufacturing units, which were subsequently destroyed, and seized over 40,000 litres of alcohol during the drive, which started on Saturday. Patna topped the list of the arrests where 316 persons were apprehended on the charge of violating prohibition law.

In Shahabad range, 106 persons were nabbed, while 38 illegal manufacturing units were destroyed.

The police caught two businessman, including the owner of a jewellery shop at Sasaram in Rohtas district, red-handed when he was drinking alcohol with his relative on Monday night.

The jeweller, Ayodhya Sao, and his relative on Tuesday were produced in the local court, which sent them to jail.