Banaskantha, Aug 7 (IANS) The Gujarat Police’s State Monitoring Cell (SMC) has seized Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) and other property worth more than Rs 1.20 crore during a raid on National Highway 27 in Banaskantha district, in one of the largest liquor seizures reported by the unit in recent weeks.
The operation also follows a series of major crackdowns by the SMC across Gujarat as it continues to target interstate liquor smuggling networks.
The raid was carried out beneath the Un village overbridge on the Thara-Randhanpur stretch of National Highway 27 in Thara taluka of Banaskantha district.
Acting on specific information, the SMC team intercepted a truck allegedly transporting liquor into Gujarat in violation of the state’s prohibition laws.
Police recovered 16,349 bottles of IMFL valued at Rs 1,05,12,451 from the vehicle. The truck, worth Rs 15 lakh, two mobile phones valued at Rs 10,000, Rs 210 in cash, covering cloth, a rope, 150 bundles of waste cloth, a driving licence and a FASTag were also seized. The total value of the seized property has been estimated at Rs 1,20,22,661.
Two Rajasthan residents were arrested at the scene. They were identified as truck driver Omprakash Kakal and cleaner Jitendrakumar Kakal, both from Aadrsh Lukhu village in Dhorimanna taluka of Barmer district.
An offence has been registered under Sections 65(A), 65(E), 116(B), 81, 83 and 98(2) of the Gujarat Prohibition Act, along with Sections 336(2), 336(3), 340(2) and 54 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
Police have named several wanted accused, including alleged liquor supplier Harish Kukana of Sodiyar village in Barmer district, the owner of the truck, an unidentified receiver based in Bhuj, and another unidentified person alleged to have loaded the liquor consignment in Ludhiana.
Investigators said efforts are underway to identify and apprehend all those involved in the supply chain.
The latest seizure adds to a string of recent SMC operations. In June, the unit seized IMFL and an SUV worth Rs 16.72 lakh near Dehgam while booking six accused.
In July, it recovered IMFL worth Rs 6.28 lakh in a raid in Gandhinagar district, with the total seized property valued at Rs 16.39 lakh.
–IANS
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