Bootleggers target dry Bihar for maximum profit

New Delhi: Despite a banof liquor in force in Bihar, traffickers involved in supplying illicit alcohol are reaching into the state.

In three separate cases, Delhi Police have arrested three persons this year from different railway stations in Delhi from where liquor was transported to Bihar.

Confirming the arrests, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Railways) Parwaiz Ahmed told Millennium Post that the arrests was made in January and three men carrying liquor were arrested from Anand Vihar, Sarai Rohilla railway station and Old Delhi railway stations.

''During interrogation, the accused claimed that they were taking liquor to Bihar," said Ahmed.

Sources in Delhi Police told this newspaper that the accused had confessed that they were looking to sell liquor in the dry state of Bihar to earn heavy profits.

Traffickers often bring liquor from Haryana into Delhi via bus and then travel by train from smaller railway stations, where footfall is minimal and it is easy to dodge police.

"The team was conducting patrolling when they found these accused suspicious.During checking, more than 100 illicit liquor bottles were recovered from them," said the senior police official.

He said the accused first brought illicit liquor from Haryana and then stored it in their home.

After the stock was ready, they reached the railway stations.

Sources claimed that due to fewer bag scanners at some stations, the accused were able to carry the liquor into the railway stations.

However, the alertness of police personnel led to the arrest.

A police official claimed that in most cases, the accused claimed that they were taking liquor for a birthday party.

Further interrogation of the accused revealed that they had purchased liquor between Rs 150 and 200 and were looking to sell it for Rs 400 in Bihar.

Past records of the three accused are being scanned to find out if they have brough liquor into Bihar earlier.

The DCP further stated that they have told railway police personnel to be alert and also keep a tab on the movement of traffickers involved in illicit liquor.

In 2016, more than three lakh of bottles of illicit liquor were seized, while in 2017, more than four lakh bottles of illicit liquor were confiscated.