Bihar: Now, vehicle scanners to check liquor smuggling

PATNA: In a bid to check liquor smuggling, the state excise and prohibition department has decided to procure hand-held vehicle scanners.
These machines will be used at various check posts like Dobhi in Gaya, Rajouli in Nawada, Dalkhola in Purnia, Karmnasha in Bhabua and Belthari in Gopalganj. Once the machines become operational, every vehicle entering the state through these check posts will have to go through hi-tech scanning process.
The portable automated scanning system will quickly detect, locate and identify liquor and other restricted objects like explosives, weapons and drugs hidden in vehicles.
Krishna Kumar, deputy commissioner of excise, said the trial run of the machine will be conducted in the first week of July by a Mumbai-based company. “The machines will phase out manual searches of the vehicles which enter Bihar from neighboring states like Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, West Bengal and also Nepal,” he said.
“Earlier, the department had planned to buy full body truck scanner tunnels for bordering areas, but it could not materialize,” Kumar said.
The prohibition and excise department has introduced several measures to crack down on liquor smugglers, including use of drones in riverine and forest areas, speed boats in diara areas, helicopters and sniffer dogs.