The prohibition unit of the Bihar police arrested two rich and powerful members of the alleged liquor mafia from a five-star hotel in Guwahati in Assam on the charges of supplying a huge quantity of alcoholic drinks and spirits to the dry state.

Sunil Bhardwaj alias Sunil Kumar of Bulandshahr in Uttar Pradesh and Dorjee Funso Karimi of Itanagar in Arunachal Pradesh were arrested on Friday.

Sunil and Dorjee are owners of at least 14 and eight companies, respectively, which manufacture liquor, ethanol and alcoholic beverages, or are engaged in allied activities. The factories and companies are in Uttar Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Goa.

Both are accused in at least 22 cases related to illicit liquor supply in different parts of Bihar and the special investigation team that arrested them has brought them to Patna.

“We were monitoring and keeping a watch on the two persons since we busted an attempt to smuggle 2,625 litres of spirit into Aurangabad on March 24, 2021. Their involvement was found in many cases of supplying illicit liquor in Bihar. We took a court warrant on the basis of the evidence with us and arrested them in Guwahati on Friday,” a senior IPS officer working with the Bihar police’s prohibition unit told The Telegraph.

Police sources said that Sunil and Dorjee are partners and national-level players in the realm of spirit, liquor, alcohol and ethanol. They indulge in an illicit supply of liquor and spirit also and have an extensive network of men in many states for this purpose. Their business ran into hundreds of crores of rupees.

The two persons became very active after Bihar imposed total prohibition in April 2016.

“The two accused are fond of leading a luxurious life. Sunil has investments also in Dubai and contested the 2021 Uttar Pradesh elections from the Syana Assembly constituency from a lesser-known political party, but lost. Dorjee has studied in Britain and is married to a woman from Cyprus,” the officer said.

The police have also identified the people who have close connections with the two accused, and are gearing up to nab them too.