UP police seize liquor worth Rs 25 lakh bound for Bihar, two arrested

Etawah (UP), Aug 18 (PTI) A consignment of illicit liquor worth nearly Rs 25 lakh was sized here, with police informing that the alcohol was allegedly being smuggled to Bihar, a dry state scheduled to go to assembly polls later this year.

Senior Superintendent of Police Brijesh Kumar Srivastava said a joint team of the Special Operations Group (SOG) and Bakewar police intercepted a maxi truck during checking near Vishal Dhaba on the Agra-Kanpur six-lane highway on the intervening night of August 17 and 18.

Upon inspecting the vehicle, police recovered 103 cartons of Royal Green whisky and 4,944 pouches of Rajasthani liquor. The stolen truck on which the liquor was being carried was also impounded.

The total value of the seizure is estimated at Rs 25 lakh, the officer said.

The truck was allegedly being used to transport the liquor from Bharatpur in Rajasthan to Bihar, according to police.

The truck driver, Manvendra alias Mannu Singh and his associate Ankit alias Neta were arrested on the spot. Both face multiple criminal charges in Agra, Mathura, Kasganj, Unnao and Etawah districts, he said.

Police said three other accomplices managed to escape and efforts are on to trace them.

A case has been registered under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Excise Act at the Bakewar police station, Srivastava said. PTI COR KIS OZ OZ