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GORAKHPUR: A joint team of the Special Task Force and Khorabar police intercepted a container truck on the Lucknow four-lane highway on Monday, seizing 2,865 litres of illicit English liquor being transported from Haryana to Bihar under the guise of phenyl. Police recovered 323 cartons of liquor packed inside the vehicle and arrested the container driver, identified as Thana Ram, a resident of Barmer district in Rajasthan. The consignment was being taken to Patna using forged commercial transit documents. Following the recovery, the police registered a formal case against the driver and produced him before a local court, which remanded him to judicial custody.
Forged E-Way Bill and Transit Receipts Recovered
Acting on specific intelligence that a substantial consignment of alcohol was dispatched from Ambala in Haryana for delivery in Bihar, the joint enforcement squad established a cordon along the Lucknow four-lane stretch and intercepted the container truck. Upon conducting a physical inspection of the cargo hold, police personnel found 323 cardboard cartons filled with liquor bottles instead of the household cleaning supplies stated in the transport register.
During the search, officers recovered a counterfeit electronic way bill generated under the name of phenyl to deceive highway checking checkpoints. Investigators also recovered two forged transport receipts from the custody of the driver. These fabricated papers were prepared to present the illicit liquor shipment as an ordinary commercial delivery of disinfectant, allowing the heavy vehicle to cross inter-state borders without raising suspicion.
Interrogation Reveals Links to Patna and Rajasthan Handlers
Following his arrest, driver Thana Ram was subjected to preliminary questioning regarding the origin and logistical chain of the seized contraband. His disclosures revealed the names of two key suspects, identified as Shivan Singh, a resident of Patna, and Anil Baytu.
According to the driver, Anil Baytu had established contact with him to orchestrate the movement of the liquor cargo from Ambala to Bihar. The police are now probing the operational network connecting the suppliers in northern India with illicit distribution syndicates based in dry Bihar. Investigators are verifying whether the two named individuals arranged transit finances, managed the fabricated documentation, or operated as liaisons for an established cross-border smuggling syndicate.
Ambala Distillery Staff Suspected of Collusion
The recovery has directed police scrutiny toward employees of the liquor manufacturing unit situated in Ambala, Haryana, from where the consignment of 2,865 litres was originally loaded. Officials noted that clearing such a massive volume of commercial liquor without valid permits indicates possible insider facilitation at the bottling or dispatch facility.
Investigators suspect that factory personnel colluded with the transporters to load the 323 cartons and facilitate the issuance of disguised dispatch paperwork under the label of phenyl. The Special Task Force and Khorabar police are pursuing further inquiries into the supply chain to uncover the full extent of the nexus between the factory employees, the transport handlers, and the intended receivers in Patna.
