Vinod Singh had multiple times tipped the police off about Saini's gang smuggling liquor.

A man accused of orchestrating the killing of a liquor trader in Lucknow two years ago was arrested on Thursday by the Special Task Force (STF) of Uttar Pradesh police from Ghaziabad, officials said.

Accused Dharamraj Saini alias Surendra and his gang head Rakesh alias Kalu had contracted the killing of Vinod Singh, they said.

Mr Singh had multiple times tipped the police off about Saini's gang smuggling liquor in trucks, leading to their seizure by authorities and an eventual animosity between them, they added.

Saini, aged around 45 years, was picked up by the Noida unit of STF around 3.15 pm from Khajri Park in Sahibabad area of Ghaziabad, a senior official said.

"Saini, who hails from Panipat in Haryana, earlier had a dairy business. He then joined the gang of Rakesh alias Kalu, who was involved in bootlegging and liquor smuggling. Rakesh and Saini had planned the killing of Singh in Lucknow and hired two contract killers for the job," Deputy Superintendent of Police, STF, Raj Kumar Mishra said.

"When the probe was taken up the STF, the killing's link emerged with Saini. who was absconding and a reward of Rs 50,000 announced on his arrest. He was booked under IPC 302 (murder) among other charges," DSP Mishra said.

The Panipat-based gang would smuggle the Haryana-marked liquor to parts of UP including Shamli, Bijnor, Hardoi, Lucknow, he said.

DSP Mishra said a gun along with some ammunition was seized from Saini during the arrest and he has been handed over to the Ghaziabad police which has booked him under the Arms Act and further proceedings are underway, he added.