Patna: The arrest on Sunday of an engineering graduate in connection with liquor supply at the Patliputra Colony area has once again exposed how wide the illegal trade's tentacles have spread.

The Patliputra police nabbed Indrajeet Kumar (25) from the Nehru Nagar locality early morning when he was allegedly going to deliver liquor to customers.

"When the police searched his bag we recovered three liquor bottles, but the youth was adamant on not accepting that the liquor belonged to him. He was speaking fluently in English, and telling us that he is an engineering graduate preparing for the civil service examination," said Patliputra police station house officer (SHO) T.N. Tiwari.

"The youth kept on boasting that he had connections with eminent persons including senior police officers."

The cops took Indrajeet to his residence in the Patliputra Colony area and recovered 41 liquor bottles from his SUV.

The arrest is part of a worrying trend; last month, the SK Puri police nabbed six youths, who were preparing for competitive examinations, for ferrying alcohol.

The students, aged between 20 and 25 years, were engaged in bootlegging to earn a quick buck.

"The students are second or third level of agents involved in illegal liquor supply," said a senior police officer.

"The first levels of liquor smuggler are big bootleggers who bring huge liquor consignment from neighbouring states and stock it mainly outside the city. The second level of agents are those who bring the liquor bottles inside the capital in small amounts. The second levels are mainly those running some business such as shops or garages, and liquor smuggling is a side business for them. The second levels of agents have the numbers of clients to whom liquor is to be delivered.

"The second level of agents uses students for delivering the liquor," the officer added. "The student gets Rs 500 to Rs 1,000 per bottle for supplying the liquor, depending upon the brand and size."

In the SK Puri case, the six students used to get the liquor from a departmental store owner in the Shivpuri area.

"We have asked SHOs to focus on students living at lodges or near coaching institutes, and to check such students carrying bags," said Patna superintendent of police (central) D. Amarkesh. "On several occasions we have nabbed many students involved in illegal liquor supply."

The cops are also carrying out special drives at railway stations and bus stands to check youngsters carrying bags.