Officials from the Excise Department in Maharashtra apprehended two individuals in Bhiwandi, Thane district, for their alleged involvement in unlawfully storing and attempting to sell Indian-made foreign liquor (IMFL) valued at Rs 55.22 lakh. The operation, which took place on Tuesday, resulted in the confiscation of over 5,200 bottles of IMFL from the shops operated by the two suspects, as reported by an official.
Officials of the excise department's flying squad of Konkan division conducted raids at the shops in Angaon of Bhiwandi-Wada road, and seized a huge stock of IMFL worth Rs 55,22,400, Superintendent of Excise in Thane, Nilesh Sangde, said. Two shopkeepers were arrested for illegally stocking and trying to sell the liquor. A total of 5,288 liquor bottles were seized from the shops, he said. The arrested shopkeepers were identified as Ramendrakumar Tiwari (48) and Riyaz Ali Avid (55), the official said.