Patna: Liquor smuggling into Bihar has taken on a national scale, with illegal consignments reportedly reaching the state from as many as 23 states across India, according to officials in the Prohibition, Excise and Registration Department.
Authorities say a network of liquor mafias operating both within and outside Bihar are working in collusion to deliver alcohol via trucks to various districts, in defiance of the state’s stringent prohibition laws. In response, the department has launched a crackdown and written to Excise Commissioners in the concerned states, urging them to identify and act against those facilitating the illicit trade.
“Joint campaigns are being run in coordination with central and state enforcement agencies,” Rajneesh Kumar Singh, Excise Commissioner and Inspector General of Registration, told reporters. He added that special monitoring is being conducted at interstate checkpoints in collaboration with the Transport Department to curb the inflow of liquor into Bihar.
According to department sources, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, and West Bengal are among the major source states for the smuggled consignments. As these states permit the legal sale of alcohol through licensed vendors, officials in those states have been requested to conduct internal audits, verify stock movements, and take action against mafia-linked distributors exploiting the legal supply chain.
With the Bihar Assembly elections approaching, the Prohibition Department has intensified its surveillance efforts. Officials believe that an uptick in smuggling operations may coincide with the poll season, prompting the need for proactive inter-state coordination and intelligence sharing.
