With the upcoming assembly elections in mind, the Bihar Police’s Prohibition Unit has initiated extensive measures to combat illegal liquor activities. This includes a strong focus on preventing cross-border smuggling and taking action against those involved. A total of 390 checkpoints are being set up in 23 border districts within Bihar, alongside the identification of locations for 161 checkpoints in neighboring districts of other states. ADG (Prohibition) Amit Kumar Jain shared these details during a press conference.
According to ADG Jain, a significant amount of foreign liquor is being smuggled into Bihar from Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Chandigarh, Haryana, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Rajasthan, and Arunachal Pradesh. The police are seeking cooperation from the police chiefs and excise commissioners of these states to address the issue effectively. Authorities are also using batch numbers and QR codes to trace the source of seized liquor to the responsible retailers or wholesalers.
As a result of the crackdown, 305 individuals from other states have been identified for their involvement in liquor prohibition violations. This information is being shared with the relevant state authorities to enable stringent action. Additionally, 240 people involved in the illegal liquor trade have faced action under Section 107 of the Indian Penal Code (BNS), with proposals for court action against 76 individuals, and ongoing actions against the remaining.
As of June this year, 8,546 individuals connected to liquor smuggling or the illicit trade have been documented in the ‘goonda register.’ Furthermore, 1,394 individuals have been identified as frequent consumers, and 1,344 have been removed from the district. Since the enforcement of prohibition in April 2016 until June 2025, the police have arrested 13,921 liquor traders from outside the state.
The Prohibition Unit has deployed 10 special operation teams to conduct regular raids, leading to substantial seizures. By July, 522,096 liters of illegal liquor have been recovered. The average monthly recovery by these teams stands at 75,000 liters. In 2024, the monthly average was 67,000 liters, indicating a 12% increase. The unit has also conducted 19 operations outside the state, including 7 in Jharkhand, 10 in Uttar Pradesh, and 2 in Chhattisgarh.
Under the law, nine individuals have been sentenced to death for violation of the prohibition law. Furthermore, 18 received life imprisonment, 222 were sentenced to over 10 years, 935 were sentenced to 2 to 10 years, and 621 received sentences of less than 2 years. From April 2016 to July 3, 2025, 536,921 cases were registered, with 640,379 individuals facing sentencing across different categories.
From April 2016 to June 2025, a total of 26,896,955 liters of illegal liquor has been seized within the state, including 10,006,024 liters of country liquor and 16,790,931 liters of foreign liquor. Nearly 97% of the total seized liquor has been destroyed.
