Bihar to bring specially trained dogs to sniff out alcohol

The Bihar government has requisitioned 20 specially trained pups from Telangana to sniff out liquor in its effort to sharpen the campaign against alcohol which is banned in the state for over two years.

The canines would undergo training to smell alcohol at Telangana's Intelligence Integrated Training Academy (IITA), Additional Director General of Police (CID), Bihar, Vinay Kumar told PTI.

After an exhaustive search for such trained dogs, the Bihar police finally zoomed in on Telangana which trains canines for snifing explosives as well as liquor, he said.

The ADG of Bihar Crime Intelligence Department said that they had established contact with canine training centres of the Army as well as paramilitary forces but could not find dogs specialised in smelling liquor.

"The 20 puppies would be trained for 8-9 months at Telangana for smelling liquor and once it is over, they would be drafted to sharpen campaign against illegal stocking of alcohol in Bihar," Kumar said.

The 20 trained canines would be distributed in all four police zones of Bihar -- Patna, Muzaffarpur, Darbhanga and Bhagalpur, he said.

"If the pilot project is successful, we would requisition more canines from Telangana," he added.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar enforced complete prohibition in Bihar in April 2016 by bringing new anti-liquor law in the state with stringent provisions.

The state government has launched a comprehensive drive since than to catch hold of those illegally engaging in sale and consumption of alcohol -- domestic as well Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL).

According to the state government data, more than 1.15 lakh people have been arrested in the state for violating the liquor ban.