The Gujarat State Monitoring Cell intercepted an illegal liquor consignment on the Ro-Ro ferry between Hazira and Ghogha. During a crackdown, officials found 19,200 bottles of liquor worth Rs 19.20 lakh hidden in a laminated steam boiler inside an Eicher tempo at the Hazira terminal. Acting on a tip-off, a team led by PSI V.C. Jadeja inspected the tempo, uncovering the hidden liquor after removing the lamination. They seized liquor, the boiler, the tempo, two phones, and cash totaling Rs 36.09 lakh and arrested the tempo driver, Hussain Mehboob Nadaf, and owner, Hiralal Basha Nadaf.
During interrogation, the accused admitted that the consignment was meant for a contact in Veraval, Gir Somnath, to be reached via phone upon arrival. The liquor would then likely be taken to Junagadh. This marked their sixth smuggling trip using this route. On January 7, the State Monitoring Cell seized liquor worth Rs 26.63 lakh on the Ro-Ro ferry from Daman to Junagadh, resulting in the arrest of two individuals—this being their second unsuccessful attempt.
Authorities confiscated alcohol valued at Rs 215 crore between April 1, 2019, and December 31, 2020, averaging around Rs 34 lakh daily. This haul included 15.58 crore bottles of IMFL, 34.72 litres of country-made liquor, and 41.23 lakh beer bottles. Over the two years until December 2022, Gujarat police, alongside central agencies, seized narcotics and liquor worth Rs 6,413 crore.
During the 2022 Gujarat Assembly elections, enforcement agencies seized items valued at Rs 290.24 crore by November 29, 2022, a significant increase from the Rs 27.21 crore seized in 2017. The seized items included IMFL, country-made liquor, and beer bottles totaling Rs 197.56 crore, Rs 3.99 crore, and Rs 10.51 crore, respectively, along with over four lakh liters of liquor valued at Rs 14.88 crore.
Sources News From Various Digital Platforms, Websites, Journalists, And Agencies.
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