Begusarai police have seized 216 litres of Indian-made foreign liquor from a Scorpio SUV that was carrying official-looking government markings, and arrested three people, including the driver, officials said. The seizure was made on Friday night at Panhas Chowk in the Lohiyanagar police station area of Bihar's Begusarai district.

Source: IANS via The Freedom Press

According to police, the vehicle bore inscriptions including 'Government of Bihar', 'DCLR Bakhri' and 'District Administration'. Officers said 216 litres of foreign liquor, packed in 25 cartons, were recovered from the SUV during the search. The vehicle, bearing registration number BR09PA2905, was seized.

Sadar SDPO Prashant Kumar confirmed that police acted on intelligence and stopped the vehicle at the chowk, Daily Kiran reported. Initial inquiries suggested the Scorpio had come from outside the area, the report said.

Three arrested

The arrested men were identified as Anand Kumar, a resident of Jinedpur village under the Muffasil police station area, and Satyam Kumar and Bittu Kumar, both residents of Sikandarpur Rajauda. All three occupants of the vehicle, including the driver, were taken into custody, police said.

Bihar has enforced a complete prohibition on alcohol since 2016, and police and excise teams regularly conduct vehicle checks and raids against liquor smuggling in the state. The Begusarai seizure is the latest case in which smugglers are alleged to have used a vehicle disguised with government markings to try to pass checkpoints.

Police said further questioning of the arrested men was under way to establish where the consignment was loaded and where it was headed. The allegations will be tested in court; the arrested men are accused, and no conviction has been reported.