In preparation for the upcoming assembly elections, the Bihar Police’s Prohibition Unit is significantly increasing its efforts to combat illegal liquor activities. The focus is on preventing cross-border smuggling and taking action against those involved. As part of this, 390 checkpoints are being established across 23 border districts within Bihar, with plans for an additional 161 checkpoints in neighboring districts of other states. ADG (Prohibition) Amit Kumar Jain shared these details during a press conference.
ADG Jain highlighted that a substantial 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 the cooperation of the police chiefs and excise commissioners of these states to take effective action. Furthermore, investigations are using batch numbers and QR codes to identify the source of seized liquor and hold retailers or wholesalers accountable.
A total of 305 individuals from other states involved in liquor prohibition violations have been identified. This information is being shared with the respective state authorities to facilitate stringent action. In addition, 240 individuals involved in the illegal liquor trade have been targeted under Section 107 of the Indian Penal Code (BNS), with legal proposals prepared against 76 individuals, and ongoing actions against the remaining.
As of June this year, 8,546 individuals linked to liquor smuggling or the illicit trade have been listed in the ‘goonda register.’ Furthermore, 1,394 individuals were identified as habitual drinkers, and 1,344 were banned from the district. From April 2016 to June 2025, when prohibition was implemented, the police have arrested 13,921 liquor traders from outside the state.
The Prohibition Unit has established 10 special operation teams that conduct continuous raids. Consequently, by July of this year, 522,096 liters of illegal liquor have been recovered. These special teams are recovering an average of 75,000 liters of liquor each month. In 2024, the average monthly recovery was 67,000 liters, showing a 12% increase. The unit has conducted 19 operations outside of the state, including 7 in Jharkhand, 10 in Uttar Pradesh, and 2 in Chhattisgarh.
Under the prohibition law, nine individuals have been sentenced to death. Moreover, 18 received life imprisonment, 222 were sentenced to over 10 years, 935 received sentences ranging from 2 to 10 years, and 621 received sentences of less than 2 years. From April 2016 to July 3, 2025, a total of 536,921 cases were registered, resulting in 640,379 individuals being sentenced under various categories.
From April 2016 to June 2025, the state has seized a total of 26,896,955 liters of illegal liquor, comprising 10,006,024 liters of country liquor and 16,790,931 liters of foreign liquor. Approximately 97% of the seized liquor has been destroyed.