Multiple vehicles and new drivers helping kingpin keep cops off his trail

New Delhi: To successfully dodge police, the kingpin of the smuggling racket has been using multiple vehicles and new drivers to smuggle liquor into different states.

Police claimed that in many cases, they have arrested drivers who claim to have never met or seen the gang leader, adding that the network of liquor supply functions in a thoroughly planned and organised way.

The kingpin even secretly installs a GPS tracker in the truck to track its movement and keep note of the number of halts taken made.

"The leader would intimate other associates and receivers about the estimated time of arrival of a consignment at a particular destination," police said.

DCP (South East) Chinmoy Biswal said that the liquor supply chain works like a 'relay race,' with the vehicles containing the alcohol being handed over to many drivers before reaching its destination.

Sources claimed that many a time, truck drivers are unaware of the consignment they are carrying.

''They are told to leave the truck when they reached the destination, from where another driver takes over," said a police source.

A senior police official noted that coordination with police in other states is vital to break the interstate liquor chain and it could takes a long time to unravel the whole chain.

Recently, South East Delhi Police had arrested two men for smuggling over 6,000 quarters bottles of illegal liquor, meant to be sold in the dry state of Bihar.