In Dry Bihar, Ambulance Has No Patient, But Carton After Carton Of Liquor

Forty cartons of foreign liquor worth Rs 10 lakh were recovered from an ambulance in ​​​​Muzaffarpur district of Bihar on Thursday evening, officials said, adding that the vehicle's driver has been arrested.

The incident took place in Sadatpur under Kanti police station area. Bihar has been a dry state since 2016, when the Nitish Kumar government implemented total prohibition on the sale and consumption of alcohol.

According to excise inspector Deepak Kumar, the transportation of the liquor bottles came to light on the basis of a tip-off. He also said the bottles were being transported from Siliguri in West Bengal. 

"Following information, a raid was conducted in Sadatpur and the consignment of 40 bottles of foreign liquor were found inside a secret cellar built in the roof of the ambulance," Mr Kumar said. 

During the course of interrogation, Mr Kumar added, the driver said the consignment was to be delivered late at night. "The ambulance driver said he had brought liquor to the state in a similar manner from Siliguri earlier as well," he said. 

The accused has named two liquor traders in the state, Mr Kumar said. "A search is on to arrest them," he added.