Rs 1 cr liquor consignment meant for Bihar seized in Firozabad; 2 held

Agra: Two alleged members of an interstate liquor smuggling network were arrested during a late-night operation in Firozabad on Wednesday with a consignment of illegal alcohol worth around Rs 1 crore. Police said the liquor was being transported to Bihar for sale.The action was carried out by Matsena police and the Special Operations Group (SOG) following a tip-off. The truck was intercepted on the service road near the Datavali underpass along the Agra–Lucknow Expressway during a vehicle-checking drive. Driver Neer Khan and co-driver Sawai Singh, both residents of Rajasthan's Barmer district, were taken into custody.Police seized 810 cartons of illicit English liquor of various brands, totalling 7,129.44 litres. The truck, which had irregular number plates, and a mobile phone were also seized. During questioning, the accused allegedly admitted that the liquor was being transported from Punjab to the prohibition state of Bihar for illegal sale at higher profits.A case has been registered under relevant provisions of the Excise Act and Section 318 (cheating) of the BNS. City SP Ravishankar Prasad said further investigations are underway to identify other members of the smuggling network.