Police on Friday busted a gang involved in smuggling liquor into the state.
After receiving a tip-off, the police raided the place and seized two trucks loaded with liquor bottles from a spot near the Agamkuan police station area.
The seized consignment consisted of 520 cartons of around 5,000 liquor bottles. The police also arrested eight persons.
Agamkuan police station house officer Kamakhya Narayan Singh said: "The liquor was being supplied from Haryana. Around 290 cartons of liquor were kept in one truck, while 230 cartons were kept in the other one."
Police sources said Jitan, a liquor trader from Haryana had sent the liquor consignment to be delivered at Naubatpur and Tajpur in Samastipur.
According to the police, Jitan used to accompany the trucks in his car to keep an eye on the vehicles and his consignment. Based on the tip-off, the police first arrested the drivers and helpers of the two trucks and based on information provided by drivers, they arrested Jitan.
Based on the confession of the drivers and the helpers, the police arrested Chandan, who was to receive the consignment.
Police sources said this was the second time the gang was bringing liquor into Bihar. A few months back, the same gang had supplied liquor at Tajpur.
Friday's liquor seizure assumes importance as this is the second major recovery of liquor supplied from Haryana within a week. On June 13, the Patna police arrested 11 persons, including Mohit Kumar, a liquor supplier from Haryana, in connection with illegal liquor supply.
In his confession, Mohit revealed to the police that his uncle Manoj Ahlawat, a big liquor trader in Haryana, was in the business of illegal liquor supply to Bihar.
Mohit used to bring liquor on trucks from Gurgaon. Based on Mohit's statement, the police started looking for two liquor suppliers, Mallick and Manoj Ahlawat, and one Manoj Rai from Vaishali district in connection with illegal liquor smuggling.
A senior police officer on condition of anonymity said: "We have caught the main gang operating in illegal liquor smuggling. There are many liquor traders in Haryana who are in nexus with some local gangs carrying out liquor smuggling in the state."
Police sources said Patna police is conducting a special drive to seize liquor. Till date, the Patna police have arrested 1,236 persons in connection with the illegal liquor supply.
The Patna deputy-inspector general (DIG) of police, Rakesh Kumar, recently suspended three police personnel from Beur police station in connection with having a nexus with liquor smugglers.
Sub-inspector (SI) Vishwambhar Prasad, Sunil Kumar and assistant sub-inspector (ASI) Shravan Kumar were suspended from duty for having nexus with liquor smugglers.
