Miscreants In Dry Bihar Transform SUV Into Makeshift Ambulance To Smuggle Liquor

Patna, Aug 20: Police have confiscated an SUV that was transformed into a makeshift ambulance to illicitly transport alcohol in the dry state of Bihar. The vehicle, a Toyota Innova, was outfitted with ambulance markings and its windows were discreetly concealed, all in an attempt to deceive authorities while transporting prohibited liquor across Bihar.

Efforts to identify the individuals responsible for this smuggling operation are currently ongoing, as law enforcement is investigating the matter to uncover the network of traders and smugglers involved.

"We are actively conducting a sustained campaign to combat the unlawful smuggling of alcohol in the district and apprehend those implicated. On August 28, officers at the Syed Raja police station intercepted an Innova car en-route to Bihar, recovering 39 cases of smuggled liquor,” Additional Superintendent of Police Chandauli, Vinay Singh told India Today.

Bihar imposed a ban on liquor in 2016. Reportedly, by October 2021, there had been nearly 350,000 cases registered and more than 400,000 arrests made under the Bihar Prohibition and Excise law.

Authorities at the Syed Raja police station, positioned along the border between Uttar Pradesh and Bihar in Chandauli, uncovered this operation after halting the vehicle at a checkpoint on August 28. The driver of the Innova attempted to evade the checkpoint and engaged the police in a pursuit. Interestingly, the Innova, masquerading as an ambulance, sported a Madhya Pradesh license plate and even had a beacon light mounted on its roof.

According to law enforcement, the individuals engaged in liquor smuggling who were present in the vehicle managed to escape the scene and evade capture. An unnamed suspect has been listed in connection with the case.

Elaborating on the discovery, the police official added, "The smugglers went to great lengths to convert this Innova into an ambulance, labelling it as such on both the front and rear windows, and even installing a blue beacon light on top. The seized stash of liquor is valued at over Rs 5 lakh.