Patna: Police in Patna have arrested four men after recovering illegal liquor and two rifles during a raid on a cattle shed in the Digha area, officials said, in a case that highlights ongoing smuggling despite Bihar’s prohibition law.
The raid was conducted in Laxminiya Gali under the jurisdiction of Digha police station after officers received a tip-off about illegal liquor sales in the area. A police team was formed and dispatched to the location, where they discovered a stash of alcohol along with two unlicensed rifles concealed inside a sack.
Four men — identified as Ankush alias Roshan, Guddu, Shravan and Manoj Kumar — were arrested at the scene. According to police, the accused are originally from Natka Diara but had been living in Laxminiya Gali.
Digha station house officer Sanjeev Kumar said the group had allegedly been running the illegal liquor trade from the shed while using the premises as a cover. Police believe Ankush alias Roshan to be the alleged mastermind of the operation.
Officers suspect the weapons were kept to intimidate people and prevent interference with the smuggling activity. During the raid, police seized 19 bottles of foreign liquor, about one litre of country-made liquor and the two rifles.
All seized items have been confiscated and the accused are being questioned. Police said they are also examining the suspects’ criminal records and investigating possible links to a wider smuggling network.
News of the recovery of firearms from the shed quickly spread through the neighbourhood, causing concern among residents who said they were unaware of such activities taking place nearby.
