Mahisagar (Gujarat), July 12 (IANS) The Gujarat Police’s State Monitoring Cell on Sunday seized Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) and other property worth over Rs 1.86 crore from a warehouse in Mahisagar district, arresting seven people while booking two juveniles and naming 16 others as wanted in connection with an alleged interstate liquor smuggling network.

The operation was carried out after Police Sub-Inspector J.S. Rajput of the State Monitoring Cell conducted a prohibition raid at warehouses located at Plot Nos. I-1 and I-3 in the GIDC area of Balasinor.

The action followed directions issued by Director General of Police (DGP) G.S. Malik to intensify legal action against illegal liquor and gambling activities across Gujarat.

According to the State Monitoring Cell, officers seized 41,600 bottles and beer tins of Indian Made Foreign Liquor valued at Rs 1,56,81,120.

They also recovered three vehicles worth Rs 28.30 lakh, eight mobile phones worth Rs 96,000, cash amounting to Rs 17,730 and 150 bags of cattle feed worth Rs 3,750 that were allegedly kept to conceal the liquor stock.

The total value of the seized property is estimated at Rs 1,86,24,850. A case has been registered at Balasinor Police Station under the Gujarat Prohibition Act and relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.

The FIR names seven arrested accused, two juveniles, and 16 wanted accused.

Police identified the arrested accused as Satendrapal Jadav of Auraiya district in Uttar Pradesh; Sahil Panchal of Rohtak district in Haryana; Mit Shukla of Balasinor in Mahisagar district; Ranvirsinh Parmar, Vipulkumar Parmar and Nilkumar Rathod, all residents of Himmatpura in Vadodara district; and Ranjitsingh Rajput, who was residing in Ahmedabad and is originally from Madhya Pradesh.

Among those declared wanted, police identified Manish Mehra as the main accused who allegedly procured the liquor consignment.

His alleged associates include Pintukumar alias Jijaji Bhoi and Kanji alias Kanho Parmar. Investigators have also named Jayanti Thakor, who is accused of renting the warehouse and keeping watch for police movements; Kiritsinh Parmar, Vishnusinh Tomar, Rakeshsingh Jat and Shyamji Chaudhary, along with several labourers allegedly involved in unloading the consignment.

“The owner of the warehouse, the owners of an Eicher tempo, a Maruti Eeco vehicle and an Activa scooter, and the person who allegedly issued the consignment note from Odhav in Ahmedabad have also been named as wanted,” officials added.

According to the police, the principal accused Manish Mehra, Kanji alias Kanho Parmar, and the arrested accused Satendrapal Jadav have previous criminal records under the Prohibition Act.

The investigation is continuing to trace the absconding accused and determine the full extent of the alleged liquor supply network.

–IANS

mys/uk