A routine-looking Rapido cab plying the streets of Patna turned out to be carrying a hidden liquor consignment, a discovery police in the Kotwali Thana area made after stopping the vehicle for a check. The moment officers opened the boot, they found several bottles of expensive foreign liquor stashed inside, though the smuggler riding in the car seized the moment to leap out while it was still moving and vanished into the crowd before he could be caught.
How the Tip-off Led to the Seizure
Kotwali Thana police had received a prior tip-off that a large consignment of foreign liquor was being brought into the city using a taxi. Acting on that information, a police team on patrol intercepted the suspicious Rapido cab and began a thorough search. When the boot was finally opened, even the police were momentarily taken aback by the sheer volume of costly foreign liquor bottles packed inside. Sensing that he had been cornered, the smuggler travelling in the taxi took advantage of the chaos, jumped out of the moving vehicle and fled the scene before officers could grab him.
Investigators Now Chasing the Wider Network
Following the recovery, police seized the Rapido cab and brought it to the Kotwali Thana for further examination. Investigators are now trying to establish who booked the taxi and from which number, where exactly the liquor consignment originated, and the final location it was meant to reach in the city. Along with scrutinising the complete booking details, police are also examining the driver's role to determine whether he was knowingly involved in the smuggling operation or was being used without his knowledge.
Police officials said the entire smuggling network behind this case is being probed in depth, with the role of the person who booked the taxi as well as other suspects also under the scanner. Investigators are hopeful that as the probe progresses, several more important leads connected to this new method of liquor smuggling could come to light, potentially helping expose the full network operating behind it.
