Ahmedabad cops register 215 prohibition cases; seize liquor worth Rs 28 lakh, attach assets

Ahmedabad, Aug 21 (IANS) The Ahmedabad City Police registered 215 prohibition cases against 244 individuals during a two-day special drive against the rising illegal liquor trade, seizing more than 10,000 bottles of foreign liquor and others valued at Rs 28.28 lakh.

Total seized assets, including vehicles and operational equipment linked to the accused, reached Rs 77.87 lakh across these raids.

Gujarat, where prohibition is strictly in force, intensified enforcement following the recent spurious liquor deaths in Bhavnagar district.

The drive was conducted on August 18 and 19 on the directions of the Gujarat Director General of Police as part of a special prohibition campaign. Police teams raided the premises of listed bootleggers and people suspected of involvement in the illegal sale and distribution of liquor.

According to Ahmedabad Police, 47 of the 215 cases involved foreign liquor. Apart from the liquor bottles, vehicles and other items were seized, taking the total value of property confiscated in these cases to Rs 77.87 lakh.

The police also registered 168 cases related to country-made liquor and seized 1,941 litres valued at Rs 3.88 lakh. The total value of property seized in these cases was Rs 4.26 lakh.

The police identified three cases as significant prohibition cases. In Sola, teams seized 2,762 small and large bottles of foreign liquor and beer worth Rs 5.05 lakh. A four-wheeler valued at Rs 4.5 lakh was also seized, taking the total value of confiscated property to Rs 9.61 lakh. Four accused were booked.

In Sabarmati, police recovered 1,740 bottles of foreign liquor valued at Rs 3 lakh, along with cash. The total value of the seized property was Rs 3.02 lakh, and one accused was booked.

In Naroda, the police seized 3,840 bottles of foreign liquor worth Rs 12.61 lakh, along with a vehicle valued at Rs 10 lakh, mobile phones and cash. The total value of the seized property was Rs 24.73 lakh. Four accused were booked in the case.

The action comes amid stepped-up enforcement against illegal liquor in Gujarat after the Bhavnagar spurious liquor tragedy, which claimed eight lives.

Separately, the Ahmedabad Crime Branch registered eight cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act during a 12-day campaign against illegal narcotics.

Ten accused were arrested at the spot, while seven alleged suppliers or co-accused were identified and are being traced. The Crime Branch said narcotics and other contraband worth Rs 10.77 lakh were seized.

The haul included around 351.15 grams of mephedrone, commonly known as MD, valued at Rs 10.54 lakh, recovered during six raids. Police also seized 350 grams of ganja worth Rs 17,500 in one raid and 35 bottles or units of codeine cough syrup valued at Rs 5,565 in another.

The police said action against illegal liquor and narcotics would continue as part of efforts to curb such activities across Ahmedabad city.

— IANS

mys/snj/mr