Over Rs 1.20 crore worth of Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) and other goods were seized in a huge crackdown by the Gujarat Police on the State Monitoring Cell (SMC) on NH-27 in Banaskantha district. Two guys from Rajasthan have been booked in the inter-State liquor smuggling case.
The SMC has intercepted a truck on road in Un village under the un village over bridge of NH-27 level in Thara Taluka in response to certain intelligence. In all, police were able to collect 16,349 bottles of IMFL worth Rs 1.05 crore during the search. Officials have also recovered the Rs 15 lakh worth truck, two mobile phones, cash, a FASTag, a driving licence, ropes, covering cloth and other materials amounting to Rs 1.20 crore.
Omprakash Kakal, truck driver and Jitendrakumar Kakal, cleaner, both of Barmer district in Rajasthan, have been identified as the arrested accused.
A case has been filed by police under various sections of Gujarat Prohibition Act and Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). A few of the others alleged to be involved in the movement have been named as liquor supplier from Barmer, the owner of the truck, unidentified receiver in Bhuj and another named in Bhuj for allegedly loading the consignment in Ludhiana.
Forensic work is ongoing to try to trace and catch all involved in the smuggling ring. It is the latest in Gujarat Police’s drive against liquor trafficking, which has been in vogue in the state for the past few months, after it had made several major liquor seizures in various parts of the state.