In a major crackdown on illegal liquor transportation, Uttar Pradesh police seized over 14,500 litres of beer from a truck on National Highway-19, officials said on Thursday. The consignment was allegedly being smuggled from Punjab to Bihar, a state where alcohol sale and consumption are prohibited.
Interstate Smuggling Operation Busted
The truck was intercepted during a routine check near the Kaushambi district, based on a tip-off. Police found the vehicle loaded with beer bottles hidden under a layer of agricultural produce. The driver and the cleaner were taken into custody for questioning.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the liquor was sourced from a brewery in Punjab and was destined for illegal distribution in Bihar. The smugglers had planned to evade detection by passing through Uttar Pradesh, but the police crackdown foiled their plan.
Modus Operandi
The beer was packed in cartons and concealed beneath sacks of wheat to avoid suspicion. The truck had valid papers for transporting agricultural goods, but the hidden liquor was discovered during a thorough inspection. Police suspect the involvement of a larger network operating across multiple states.
Bihar has been a dry state since 2016, when the state government imposed a complete ban on alcohol to curb social evils. Despite strict enforcement, illegal smuggling of liquor from neighboring states remains a challenge. Uttar Pradesh, which shares a long border with Bihar, has been a key transit route for such operations.
In recent months, UP police have intensified checks on highways to curb the flow of illegal liquor. Officials said the seized beer, worth an estimated Rs 30 lakh in the black market, would be destroyed as per procedure. The accused have been booked under relevant sections of the Bihar Excise Act and the Uttar Pradesh Excise Act.
Further investigations are underway to trace the origin of the consignment and identify other members of the smuggling ring.
