Patna: Didarganj police on Sunday evening nabbed two youths who the cops said were carrying liquor in tetrapacks, more proof that it is business as usual for bootleggers despite approval of creation of the post of inspector-general of police (prohibition) for enforcement of the dry law.

Didarganj police station house officer (SHO) Laxman Prasad said: "The two youths were carrying 110 tetrapacks of liquor while passing through Didarganj checkpost."

The duo said they had brought the liquor from Calcutta. "The arrested youths, Mukesh Kumar and Amit Kumar, are students in their twenties and were in the business for quick a bucks," said a police officer who is part of the investigation.

The two, the officer said, used to bring liquor from Bengal and other neighbouring states and sell it to select customers at high prices.

The arrests point to another trend: Apart from smuggling in liquor in big vehicles, the bootleggers are supplying liquor in smaller quantities by hiring unemployed youths.

Last week, Fatuha police recovered 384 bottles of Indian made foreign liquor stored inside a special cabin created in a pickup van. The driver and helper of the truck ran away on seeing the police team, abandoning the van on NH 30.

"Prohibition has been enforced but liquor smuggling is rampant because of the state's topography. Bihar shares a porous border with Nepal in the north, Uttar Pradesh in the west, Bengal in the east and Jharkhand in the south," said an officer.

He said involvement of students and unemployed youths in bootlegging has become a cause for concern.

Patna zonal inspector-general N.H. Khan said: "The police have been carrying out continuous raids to break the supply chain of liquor smugglers. Police have identified some gangs operating in the illegal business. Instructions have been issued to conduct regular checking on vehicles entering the state capital."