Police in the Pakistani capital on Thursday seized 7,200 bottles of liquor from a truck during the checking of vehicles on the outskirts of the city, officials said.
The liquor, concealed in cartons, was found when police checked the truck at a check post at Tarnol Chowk. Officials said the alcohol was being smuggled into Islamabad. Three persons, including the driver of the truck and his aide, were arrested.
The seizure was made on the basis of a tip-off. A permit stating that the liquor was being imported for a hotel was found to be expired, officials said.
Pakistan’s majority Muslim population is barred from drinking alcohol under a law passed in the 1970s.
However, large cities like Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi have extensive networks of bootleggers. Non-Muslims are issued special permits to buy limited quantities of alcohol.