Police on Tuesday seized illicit liquor worth over Rs.1.5 crore in two raids in the state.

In the first operation, around 350 cartons of Indian made foreign liquor (IMFL) were seized from a truck and three persons were arrested from Muzaffarpur. The value of the seized alcohol was estimated to be worth Rs 1.5 crore.

Police said personnel of the special task force (STF) intercepted the truck near Bazaar Samiti under the jurisdiction of Ahiyapur police station of the district, around 75km north of Patna. During search of the vehicle, the officials found the 350 cartons of liquor.

The alcohol was being smuggled from Haryana, and being passed off as poultry feed. "It seems that the alcohol was being stored ahead of Holi," said Ahiyapur police station house officer (SHO) Vijay Kumar.

The arrested persons were identified as Farooq, the driver, Tali, the cleaner, both residents of Nuh district of Haryana, and Sanjan Kumar, a resident of Gaighat in Muzaffarpur district.

The seized liquor bottles had stickers saying they were meant for sale only within Haryana, the SHO added.

He claimed that it was the biggest seizure in the district after the implementation of new prohibition law.

In another operation, the Rohtas police intercepted a pick up van and seized 18 cartons of IMFL and 10,000 pouches of country liquor. The seized consignment was being smuggled from Palamau district in Jharkhand.

The driver of the pickup van Jitendra Mahto, a resident of Palamau's Navanagar, was arrested.

Jitendra told the interrogators that alcohol was booked at a shop located near Parwa Mor in Palamau district, police sources said. The liquor trader was identified as Rupesh Kumar.