Patna: As enforcement agencies intensify checks at major railway stations across Bihar, liquor smugglers are shifting their operations to quieter, less-guarded stations, pulling train chains to offload illicit consignments and resorting to stone pelting and violence when challenged.
Despite prohibition in the state, smugglers have devised a well-coordinated system to evade detection. Liquor is packed in rucksacks, trolley bags and ordinary travel luggage, and discreetly placed near toilets or beneath seats of long-distance trains. Operatives then trail the consignment from a distance, often never boarding the train themselves.
The method is simple but effective — as the train nears a pre-decided, lightly policed station or a remote outer signal point, an accomplice onboard pulls the emergency chain. Within moments, a waiting group unloads the liquor bags and disappears. Railway officials confirm that these activities usually occur at night and often involve multiple members, including women.
Danapur, a key railway station near Patna, recently saw the arrest of a woman with liquor concealed in her luggage on the Godda Superfast Express. A thorough search of the train uncovered additional abandoned bags containing 98 litres of alcohol.
Incidents are becoming increasingly brazen. On April 8, the Buddha Purnima Express was halted illegally near Sipara crossing by chain pulling. Over a dozen individuals began unloading alcohol but fled after clashing with the escort team and pelting stones at the train. On May 11, a similar incident occurred when the Gurumukhi Express was forcibly stopped between Rajendranagar and Gulzarbagh; passengers who tried to intervene were met with violence. The AC coach’s windows were shattered in the attack.
Another incident on May 4 involved the Raxaul Karmabhoomi Express en route from Delhi to Patna. The train was halted near Bihta by chain pulling, and passengers were assaulted. The smugglers stopped the train a second time before unloading 15 to 20 cartons of liquor. One arrest was made in connection with the case.
The Railway Police says it is aware of the growing trend and has launched “Operation Raid” — a joint initiative of the Government Railway Police (GRP) and Railway Protection Force (RPF). Teams are conducting intensive checks in all coaches, focusing on night trains and remote halt points.
“This is not ordinary smuggling; it’s organised and increasingly violent,” said an official. “We’re intensifying surveillance and using decoy operations to apprehend those responsible.”
However, with smugglers adapting rapidly and targeting weak points in the rail network, the battle to enforce prohibition on the rails continues to pose serious challenges.
