LUCKNOW, Sept. 18 -- The Uttar Pradesh excise department seized a consignment of illicit foreign liquor on the outskirts of Lucknow on Tuesday. Acting on a tip-off, officials intercepted a four-wheeler along the Kisan Path near Gosaiganj and recovered 473 bottles of premium foreign liquor, allegedly intended for illegal distribution during the upcoming elections in Bihar. District excise officer Karunendra Singh confirmed that the operation was conducted as part of a special enforcement drive launched to curb liquor smuggling. The crackdown was carried out under the directives of the excise commissioner of UP and the district magistrate of Lucknow. "The seized liquor was being transported from Haryana to Bihar to be sold illegally during the elections," Singh said. The operation was led by excise inspector Vivek Singh, along with Inspectors Rahul Singh, Shikhar Mall, and Abhishek Singh. The team initially stopped the suspect vehicle at a checkpoint, but the driver attempted to flee towards the rural areas of Gosaiganj. With the assistance of the Gosaiganj police and a surveillance team, the vehicle was sucintercepted near Andar Kasimpur village. The team recovered several cartons of branded liquor, all labeled "For Sale in Haryana Only." In addition to the liquor, officials seized three mobile phones and Rs 2,030 in cash. The car, reportedly a rental, was also impounded. The driver, identified as Mohan, confessed during preliminary questioning that he was transporting the consignment from Haryana to Bihar....