Gujarat: Liquor worth Rs 84 lakh seized from flat parking, seven booked

Vadodara, Aug 23 (IANS) The Gujarat Police’s State Monitoring Cell (SMC) seized Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) and beer worth Rs 84.01 lakh during a raid on an alleged liquor ‘cutting’ operation in Vadodara city on Sunday, with the total value of the seized property over Rs 1 crore.

Acting on instructions from Director General of Police (DGP) G.S. Malik, the SMC team led by Police Inspector M.K. Malviya conducted the raid at the parking area of Neelkanth Villa flats, behind a white wooden house in Khodiyarnagar on New Karelibaug Road.

Police said the operation was conducted as part of an action against illegal liquor and gambling activities in the state. The team recovered approximately 470 boxes containing 16,394 bottles of IMFL and beer, valued at Rs 84,01,258.

Three four-wheelers, a two-wheeler and other articles were also seized, taking the total value of the seized material to Rs 1,00,21,258, according to the SMC.

A case was registered at Bapod Police Station under Sections 65(A)(E), 81, 83, 98(2) and 116(B) of the Prohibition Act. Police have named seven wanted accused, including Nilesh alias Nilu Nathani of Bapod and the owners of all vehicles.

The others include a person who allegedly fled while unloading the liquor and another accused of sending the consignment. The seizure comes amid a series of major liquor recoveries in Gujarat this month.

On August 16, Ahmedabad Rural Police seized 7,164 IMFL bottles worth Rs 26.81 lakh from a truck at Bagodra toll plaza and arrested its driver.

Police were also tracing the alleged supplier and intended recipient. On August 13, the SMC seized around 31,836 bottles of IMFL and beer worth about Rs 1.20 crore near the Budhanpur toll plaza in Vav-Tharad, with the total value of the seized property reported at around Rs 1.32 crore.

Earlier, in June, the SMC seized 49,224 bottles of IMFL valued at Rs 1.49 crore from a truck on the Vadodara-Ahmedabad Expressway near Bibipura, along with the vehicle and a mobile phone.

–IANS

mys/uk