Varanasi: In a major breakthrough, Chandauli cops have exposed the liquor smugglers’ strategy of carrying stickers of Government of India and UP government on their SUVs to dodge the cops for entering the dry state of Bihar with liquor consignments.
Talking to TOI SP Chandauli Amit Kumar said, As the liquor smugglers use to change their style to dodge police for taking the liquor consignments to Bihar by crossing Naubatpur border of the district, the cops had increased vigil on doubtful vehicles.
During the exercise, they caught two SUVs with such stickers on Tuesday and again on Wednesday and recovered huge quantity of liquor, although the smugglers could not be caught in both cases.
According to him, Saiyyedraja cops on Wednesday succeeded in nabbing an SUV, on which ‘Uttar Pradesh Sarkar’ (UP government) was depicted in red letters below the number plate.
However, before the cops could reach close to this vehicle, its driver managed to escape, leaving the vehicle abandoned.
When inspector Saiyyedraja Laxman Parvat checked the SUV 449.28 litre of country liquor packed in 2496 bottles was recovered.
Cost of recovered liquor was estimated at Rs 3.75 lakhs.
Earlier, on Tuesday night, Alinagar police had caught a vehicle near Singhitali area after its driver and one more person fled the scene after jumping out of vehicle on noticing men in khaki heading towards them.
When police checked the SUV containing stickers of government of India and emergency railway services, 1680 bottles of country liquor packed in 35 boxes were recovered.
Following seizure of liquor consignments and these vehicles, the cops of Saiyyedraja and Alinagar police station are trying to identify the owners and drivers of both the vehicles.
The vehicle caught in Saiyyedraja belonged to Prayagraj district, said police.
The menace of liquor smuggling in Chandauli and other bordering districts of Bihar as a blanket ban was imposed on liquor by the Bihar government.
In past five years, the gangs involved in pumping liquor in Bihar had kept changing their style of operation.
As sending big consignments in trucks was causing them huge loss, the smugglers started using small cars, pick-up vans and SUVs to send small consignments.
Police said due to same reasons, extra vigil was being kept even on those small vehicles, which are heading to Bihar.