📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Fred the Oyster
Crime
Bihar Bootleggers Turn to Treetops for Smuggling Operations
✍️ The Times of India
🗓 09 Oct 2026, 09:01 PM
👁 11
Police in Bihar report that illegal liquor traders are now using trees to hide and transport illicit alcohol, expanding beyond traditional land and river routes.
Police officials in Bihar have observed a noticeable shift in the tactics of illegal liquor traders, who are increasingly exploiting forested areas and treetops to conceal and move contraband alcohol. The move marks a departure from the conventional use of roads and river routes that have long facilitated bootlegging in the state.
Law enforcement agencies are now adapting their surveillance methods, deploying forest patrols and aerial monitoring to counter the new modus operandi. Officials say the vertical dimension of smuggling complicates detection, prompting a reassessment of resource allocation in anti‑bootlegging operations.
The emerging practice underscores the adaptability of illicit networks and raises concerns about the spread of unregulated alcohol into remote communities. Authorities have warned that the use of treetops could make it harder to intercept shipments, potentially increasing health risks associated with spurious liquor consumption.
Law enforcement agencies are now adapting their surveillance methods, deploying forest patrols and aerial monitoring to counter the new modus operandi. Officials say the vertical dimension of smuggling complicates detection, prompting a reassessment of resource allocation in anti‑bootlegging operations.
The emerging practice underscores the adaptability of illicit networks and raises concerns about the spread of unregulated alcohol into remote communities. Authorities have warned that the use of treetops could make it harder to intercept shipments, potentially increasing health risks associated with spurious liquor consumption.