Buxar: Easy money from liquor smuggling along the Bihar-Uttar Pradesh border is drawing a growing number of youths into the illegal trade, with some allegedly using proceeds from the business to build local influence and prepare for panchayat politics.Excise department data paints a picture of a thriving smuggling network operating through key transit routes such as the Veer Kunwar Singh Ganga Bridge and the Chausa checkpost. While authorities have intensified enforcement, the illegal trade continues to attract young people looking for quick earnings.Buxar excise superintendent Ashraf Jamal said the department seized 77,495.88 litres of liquor during 2024-25 and arrested 735 people, most of them youths, for alleged involvement in smuggling. As many as 211 vehicles, including 11 trucks, were confiscated during the period. The department also destroyed over 11 lakh kg of Java Mahua, a fermented Mahua-based substance used in illicit liquor production.The trend has continued this year. Between April and Aug of 2025-26, excise officials seized 1,43,030.76 litres of liquor and arrested 929 people. They also confiscated 252 vehicles, including 25 trucks, while over 12 lakh kg of Java Mahua was destroyed.According to Jamal, the scale of operations reflects both persistent demand for liquor in Bihar and the profitability of smuggling. The department registered 2,677 cases after conducting 23,094 raids in 2024-25. In the current financial year so far, 2,317 cases have been registered following 27,181 raids.Officials said the Veer Kunwar Singh Ganga Bridge excise checkpost ranked first among 82 excise checkposts in Bihar in the department’s annual performance assessment. The checkpost recorded an average monthly seizure of nearly 5,000 litres of liquor. The Chausa checkpost, which ranked 23rd, recorded average daily seizures of 778 litres.The growing involvement of young people is emerging as a major challenge. A youth recently released from jail in a liquor smuggling case said many are drawn to the trade despite being aware of the risks. “The network is well established and there is demand for liquor in Bihar. Young people are attracted by the prospect of quick money,” he said.Social scientist BD Dubey said the liquor trade has transformed the social landscape of several border villages over the past five years. According to him, some youths who became affluent through the illegal business are now attempting to reinvent themselves as social workers and community leaders.“Several youths who became suddenly wealthy through this trade are trying to establish social influence and are preparing to field candidates in the upcoming panchayat elections,” Dubey said.
