Patna: The excise department on Wednesday night recovered large quantity of liquor from an engineer's house at Buddh Vihar Colony in Rupaspur.

After a tip off, the department raided the house and seized 125 cartons of liquor from the house. The seized liquor included 86 cartons of 750ml bottles and 39 cartons of 375ml bottles.

The excise department has come to know that the house belongs to a certain R.K. Prasad, an executive engineer posted at a government department, and he has given the house to a few people on rent.

Excise department sub-inspector Ajit Kumar said: "We had information about liquor supply from the house to various places. Based on the input we raided the spot. A Maruti car was moving out of the house. On seeing us, the smugglers fled leaving the vehicle behind. On searching the vehicle, we found liquor bottles. On searching the house we recovered 125 cartons of liquor."

According to excise department officials, three smugglers have been operating from the house for the past few months. The officials have sealed the house. Sources said they have come to know that a certain Sanjit Kumar, a resident of the area, is running the illegal business.

The officials are gathering information on the source of liquor being brought to Patna and the areas where they are being supplied. The police are also collecting information about the owner of the house.

A resident of the area said: "The house has been newly constructed. The owner hardly visits. The tenant living in the house doesn't interact with us."

Sources said the excise department carried out the raid secretly and did not even keep the local Rupaspur police station in the loop. A Rupaspur police station official said: "The excise department didn't inform us about the raid."