Vadodara, May 8 The Vadodara Rural Local Crime Branch (LCB) has intensified its crackdown on illegal liquor trafficking in the state. It has seized foreign liquor worth over Rs 68 lakh, officials said on Thursday.
The action was taken based on a tip-off that led the LCB to intercept a tempo near Asoj village. One person has been arrested, and a case has been registered at the Jarod Police Station against both the driver and the supplier of the contraband.
The incident happened when LCB teams, while on routine patrol, received specific intelligence about a closed-body tempo transporting foreign liquor -- concealed under rolls of plastic -- from Vadodara towards Halol.
In response, officers laid a watch near the Asoj village limits. Upon spotting the described vehicle, they halted it and found Nasir Ibrahim Mansuri, a resident of Green Park, Indore, behind the wheel. Upon inspecting the vehicle, police discovered that cartons of foreign liquor were hidden behind plastic rolls, apparently to avoid detection.
The seized liquor was valued at Rs 68.14 lakh, while the total recovery -- including the vehicle, mobile phone, and cash -- was estimated at Rs 78.24 lakh.
Interrogation of the accused revealed that a man named Javed, also from Indore, had loaded the liquor into the vehicle on May 6 near the Indore-Rau highway, cleverly hiding it behind packaging material. The driver was instructed to deliver the consignment in Surat, and upon arrival, he was to contact Javed for further delivery to Halol. However, before the delivery could be completed, the tempo was intercepted by the authorities.
Over the years, Gujarat -- despite being a dry state under the Gujarat Prohibition Act -- has consistently reported high-profile liquor smuggling cases, exposing the persistent challenge of enforcing prohibition. Smuggling networks, often operating across state borders, have made Gujarat a hotspot for illegal liquor trade, especially in regions like Surat, Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Banaskantha, and Kutch.
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