Ahmedabad, Feb 20 (IANS) Chhota Udepur, located at the Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Madhya Pradesh borders, has become a key route for bootleggers smuggling liquor into Gujarat. In response, the district police have intensified operations, intercepting multiple consignments. In the latest crackdown, the Chhota Udepur crime branch, during a routine patrol, received intelligence about a Tata mini truck carrying illicit Indian-made foreign liquor (IMFL) concealed under rice sacks.
The police set up a checkpoint near Rangpur Naka and intercepted the truck, bearing registration number GJ-09-Y-5307. Upon thorough inspection, they discovered liquor worth Rs 13.77 lakh hidden beneath the rice bags. The total seized material, including the vehicle, amounted to Rs 20.83 lakh. A case has been registered, and further investigations are underway.
According to District Police Chief Imtiaz Sheikh, the crime branch has successfully executed five major liquor seizures recently.
These include Rs 4.25 lakh worth of liquor hidden in vegetable consignments from Modasar Crossroad, Bodeli; Rs 11.70 lakh worth of liquor concealed under sand in Dhamodi; Rs 3.91 lakh worth of liquor smuggled inside dolomite powder near Rangpur Naka; and another Rs 7.49 lakh worth of liquor disguised under vegetable loads. In total, law enforcement has confiscated illicit liquor and materials worth Rs 41.13 lakh, leading to the arrest of seven suspects.
The accused have been booked under relevant laws and remanded in custody as authorities continue their stringent crackdown on illegal liquor smuggling in the region. Despite Gujarat’s prohibition policy since 1948, the state continues to grapple with significant illicit liquor activities.
In 2021, authorities seized an average of 11 bottles of Indian-made foreign liquor (IMFL) every minute, totalling 57.12 lakh bottles valued at Rs 122 crore. This marked an increase from 2020, which saw 45.15 lakh bottles worth Rs 114 crore confiscated. The number of prohibition cases also rose from 1.53 lakh in 2020 to 1.69 lakh in 2021, with approximately 1.67 lakh individuals arrested for bootlegging in 2021.
In the first half of 2024, the State Monitoring Cell (SMC) conducted 180 successful raids across Gujarat, seizing illicit liquor worth Rs 11.5 crore and other illegal goods valued at Rs 26 crore. Ahmedabad led with 17 liquor cases, followed by Surat with 13, Vadodara with five, and Rajkot reporting none.
Notably, Ahmedabad maintained the highest number of illegal liquor cases among the state’s four police commissionerates.
Between January 2021 and December 2022, Gujarat’s law enforcement agencies seized narcotic drugs worth Rs 4,058.01 crore and liquor valued at Rs 211.86 crore. Vadodara district topped the list with seizures totalling Rs 1,620.7 crores, followed by Bharuch at Rs 1,389.91 crore, and Kutch at Rs 1,040.57 crore.
During this period, over 3 lakh individuals were arrested for liquor and drug-related offences, with approximately 37 lakh bottles of liquor confiscated.
–IANS
janvi/dan
Disclaimer
The information contained in this website is for general information purposes only. The information is provided by TodayIndia.news and while we endeavour to keep the information up to date and correct, we make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information, products, services, or related graphics contained on the website for any purpose. Any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk.
In no event will we be liable for any loss or damage including without limitation, indirect or consequential loss or damage, or any loss or damage whatsoever arising from loss of data or profits arising out of, or in connection with, the use of this website.
Through this website you are able to link to other websites which are not under the control of TodayIndia.news We have no control over the nature, content and availability of those sites. The inclusion of any links does not necessarily imply a recommendation or endorse the views expressed within them.
Every effort is made to keep the website up and running smoothly. However, TodayIndia.news takes no responsibility for, and will not be liable for, the website being temporarily unavailable due to technical issues beyond our control.
For any legal details or query please visit original source link given with news or click on Go to Source.
Our translation service aims to offer the most accurate translation possible and we rarely experience any issues with news post. However, as the translation is carried out by third part tool there is a possibility for error to cause the occasional inaccuracy. We therefore require you to accept this disclaimer before confirming any translation news with us.
If you are not willing to accept this disclaimer then we recommend reading news post in its original language.
