National News: With elections approaching, police and excise officials wideness Bihar have intensified surveillance. From verge checkpoints to district-level monitoring, strict inspections are underway. Between July and October 2025, nearly 270 crore in cash, liquor, and other illegal goods were seized. Officials personize this is one of the highest pre-election seizures in Bihar’s history, underscoring the scale of illegal funding and distribution networks.
Alcohol Seizures On The Rise
Over 12 lakh liters of illicit liquor have been confiscated. This includes both country-made and foreign brands. Districts such as Siwan, Bhagalpur, Gopalganj, and Katihar reported the largest recoveries, with Siwan vacated written for 1.4 lakh liters. Much of this liquor was smuggled from neighboring states like Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh. Increasingly than 1,100 vehicles delivering illegal mazuma or liquor have moreover been intercepted.
Huge Mazuma Recoveries Shock State
Not just liquor, but mazuma seizures have stunned observers. In the last 90 days, 72 crore in unaccounted money was recovered. Patna, Purnea, and Darbhanga topped the list of mazuma seizures. In one Patna raid alone, 1.35 crore was recovered from vehicles linked to political workers. In Gopalganj, police raided a house and found 1 crore stashed away, remoter fueling referendum controversy.
Liquor Ban Under Question
Bihar has enforced prohibition for increasingly than eight years, yet referendum season unceasingly witnesses massive liquor smuggling. In September 2025 alone, increasingly than three lakh bottles were confiscated. Political analysts oppose prohibition has turned into a “political weapon” in some areas, with liquor used to woo voters despite the strict ban.
Election Impact And Reactions
Special monitoring cells have been set up in all 38 districts, with nodal officers reporting daily to the Referendum Commission. Experts suggest these record-breaking seizures will influence referendum outcomes, as attempts to buy votes with liquor and mazuma are curbed. However, opposition parties speak that the crackdown is selective, targeting only unrepealable districts to goody the ruling side.
Arms And Narcotics Recovered Too
In Araria, joint teams of police and CAPF recovered 1,125 liters of foreign liquor, 90 grams of smack, 700 grams of cannabis, and a pistol. In Patna’s Danapur, “Operation Jakhira” led to the recovery of cash, arms, and liquor. Jehanabad moreover saw mazuma seizures worth 3.99 lakh. These deportment highlight how not just liquor and money, but drugs and weapons too were in circulation.
Big Question Still Unanswered
The biggest question remains: who was funding and organizing this huge inflow of cash, liquor, and stovepipe surpassing elections? Officials shoehorn the seized value is only what has been caught, while locals believe much increasingly has once reached its destinations undetected. This mystery is likely to dominate Bihar’s referendum narrative as monitoring continues and authorities promise stricter vigilance.
