Jamshedpur: Acting on a tip-off, police intercepted a van at Chepapool in Mango and seized 4,000 pouches of countrymade liquor past Thursday midnight.

The consignment of pouches, bearing logo of the state government, was on its way to Jamshedpur from Pardih. The driver of the van abandoned the vehicle and fled from the spot.

Mango thana officer-in-charge Arun Kumar Mahatha said the van had been seized and brought to Mango thana.

"We guess the consignment of countrymade liquor belonged to some illegal manufacturers in Chandil in adjoining Seraikela-Kharsawan. As no one has been arrested in the connection it is difficult to find out the source of the consignment. We will send a sample of the seized liquor for chemical test to a Bihar-based lab soon," said OC Mahatha.

Sub-inspector of state excise department, Abhishek Anand, said they were aware of the seized liquor consignment.

"India-made foreign liquor (IMFL) is supplied to East Singhbhum by Jharkhand State Beverages Corporation Ltd (JSBCL), which has a depot at Bhilaipahadi along NH-33 on Ghatshila Road. Since the liquor consignment has been seized near Chepapool, it must be an illegal one," said Anand, adding that JSBCL did not carry out liquor supply post sunset and officials always carried valid documents for the purpose.

"We will also enquire into the illegal liquor trade near the steel city at the earliest," added Anand.

An excise department official said the demand for coutrymade liquor was high especially during Makar Sankranti. "Traders involved in carrying out the illegal liquor trade often trick police by pasting government logo on the liquor bottles," he said.