Ahmedabad, Feb 20 (IANS) Chhota Udepur, located at the Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Madhya Pradesh borders, has become a key route for bootleggers smuggling liquor into Gujarat. In response, the district police have intensified operations, intercepting multiple consignments. In the latest crackdown, the Chhota Udepur crime branch, during a routine patrol, received intelligence about a Tata mini truck carrying illicit Indian-made foreign liquor (IMFL) concealed under rice sacks.
The police set up a checkpoint near Rangpur Naka and intercepted the truck, bearing registration number GJ-09-Y-5307. Upon thorough inspection, they discovered liquor worth Rs 13.77 lakh hidden beneath the rice bags. The total seized material, including the vehicle, amounted to Rs 20.83 lakh. A case has been registered, and further investigations are underway.
According to District Police Chief Imtiaz Sheikh, the crime branch has successfully executed five major liquor seizures recently.
These include Rs 4.25 lakh worth of liquor hidden in vegetable consignments from Modasar Crossroad, Bodeli; Rs 11.70 lakh worth of liquor concealed under sand in Dhamodi; Rs 3.91 lakh worth of liquor smuggled inside dolomite powder near Rangpur Naka; and another Rs 7.49 lakh worth of liquor disguised under vegetable loads. In total, law enforcement has confiscated illicit liquor and materials worth Rs 41.13 lakh, leading to the arrest of seven suspects.
The accused have been booked under relevant laws and remanded in custody as authorities continue their stringent crackdown on illegal liquor smuggling in the region. Despite Gujarat's prohibition policy since 1948, the state continues to grapple with significant illicit liquor activities.
In 2021, authorities seized an average of 11 bottles of Indian-made foreign liquor (IMFL) every minute, totalling 57.12 lakh bottles valued at Rs 122 crore. This marked an increase from 2020, which saw 45.15 lakh bottles worth Rs 114 crore confiscated. The number of prohibition cases also rose from 1.53 lakh in 2020 to 1.69 lakh in 2021, with approximately 1.67 lakh individuals arrested for bootlegging in 2021.
In the first half of 2024, the State Monitoring Cell (SMC) conducted 180 successful raids across Gujarat, seizing illicit liquor worth Rs 11.5 crore and other illegal goods valued at Rs 26 crore. Ahmedabad led with 17 liquor cases, followed by Surat with 13, Vadodara with five, and Rajkot reporting none.
Notably, Ahmedabad maintained the highest number of illegal liquor cases among the state's four police commissionerates.
Between January 2021 and December 2022, Gujarat's law enforcement agencies seized narcotic drugs worth Rs 4,058.01 crore and liquor valued at Rs 211.86 crore. Vadodara district topped the list with seizures totalling Rs 1,620.7 crores, followed by Bharuch at Rs 1,389.91 crore, and Kutch at Rs 1,040.57 crore.
During this period, over 3 lakh individuals were arrested for liquor and drug-related offences, with approximately 37 lakh bottles of liquor confiscated.