Thane: Cops seize fake foreign liquor worth Rs 14; three held

The excise department has seized cheap alcohol valued at Rs 14 lakh which were packed in bottles of reputed brands in Maharashtras Thane district the police have arrested three individuals an official said on Friday PTI reportedAs per PTI the seizure from Maharashtrarsquos Shahapur and Karjat talukas was made on WednesdayEarlier the department had received a tip that liquor brought from Daman and Goa was being repackaged in bottles of expensive brands the official saidFollowing an operation led by inspector D R Parab the officials seized around 126 boxes of counterfeit liquor valued at Rs 1381 lakh and took three individuals into custody the official added PTI reportedPolice in Gadchiroli seize illegal liquor and vehicle worth Rs 34 lakh in major bustIn a significant crackdown on illegal liquor trade the Gadchiroli police seized a fourwheeled vehicle along with contraband alcohol worth 342500 The operation took place on January 20 2025 as part of an ongoing effort to curb the illegal sale and transport of alcohol in the district where a prohibition law is in effectThe operation was initiated after receiving a tipoff from an anonymous source that a silver Ford Fiesta vehicle was transporting illegal liquor from the Aramori area heading towards Wadsa Acting swiftly police officer Shailesh Torakpawar of Wadsa Police Station under the supervision of Police Inspector Ajay Jagtap began tracking the vehicle However the driver attempted to evade the police by speeding away from Shankarpur towards KurkhedaUpon receiving further information from Inspector Jagtap Inspector Mahendra Wagh of Kurkheda Police Station along with a police team set up an ambush near Gothangav At around 1000 PM the Ford Fiesta was spotted speeding towards their position Despite attempts by the police to stop the vehicle the driver continued to flee eventually managing to escape into the night after abandoning the vehicle near Tukaram Vidyalaya in Mauja KadoliA thorough search of the vehicle revealed 25 boxes containing 2375 bottles of illegal liquor specifically 90 ml bottles of Tiger Brand Santara estimated to be worth Rs 142500 The vehicle a Ford Fiesta was also valued at Rs 200000 bringing the total value of the seized goods to Rs 342500Following this discovery a case was registered at Kurkheda Police Station under relevant sections of the Maharashtra Prohibition Act and the Motor Vehicle Act The authorities are continuing their investigation to track down the driver who remains at largeWith agency inputs