Mehsana, June 10 (IANS) The Gujarat State Monitoring Cell (SMC) seized Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) and other property worth more than Rs 1.26 crore during a prohibition raid on the Ahmedabad-Palanpur Highway near Mevad village in Mehsana district on Wednesday, officials said.

The raid was carried out by an SMC team led by PSI V.K. Rathod. A case was registered at Mehsana Taluka Police Station under Sections 65(A)(E), 81, 83, 98(2) and 116(B) of the Gujarat Prohibition Act, along with Sections 336 and 339 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.

According to police, officers intercepted an Eicher Pro truck on the highway and recovered 850 boxes containing 22,773 bottles of IMFL, valued at Rs 1,10,78,149.

The seized stock included Royal Stag Whisky (750 ml and 180 ml), Royal Challenge Fine Reserve Whisky (750 ml), Tuborg Premium Strong Beer (500 ml) and Kingfisher Strong Classic Premium Beer (500 ml), all marked “For Sale in Punjab Only”.

Police also seized the truck valued at Rs 15 lakh, two mobile phones worth Rs 10,000, 175 cattle-feed covering bags worth Rs 8,750 and cash amounting to Rs 4,490.

The total value of the seized property was assessed at Rs 1,26,01,389.

One accused, identified as Ghamanda Ram Chetan Ram Jat, a resident of Pokar Bhadu Ki Dhani in Naukh area of Rajasthan’s Barmer district and the driver of the truck, was arrested and handed over to Mehsana Taluka Police Station.

Investigators are searching for three other accused, including a man identified as Kishan, alleged to be the supplier of the liquor, the owner of the truck, and an unidentified person suspected to be the intended recipient of the consignment in Rajkot.

The seizure is the latest in a series of major prohibition-related operations in Gujarat.

Earlier this month, the State Monitoring Cell seized IMFL worth about Rs 1.51 crore from a truck near Bharudi village in Rajkot district’s Gondal taluka, recovering more than 41,500 bottles concealed in a consignment and arresting one person.

In February, the SMC carried out one of the state’s largest recent anti-liquor operations near Dhaneti and Vadvala villages in Kutch district, where authorities recovered more than 56,000 bottles of liquor valued at over Rs four crore during a crackdown on an organised smuggling network.

Gujarat remains a prohibition state, and law enforcement agencies continue to conduct operations targeting the transport and distribution of illicit liquor across the state.

–IANS

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