Gujarat liquor bust: 32,392 IMFL bottles worth ₹1.11 crore seized on Sanand-Viramgam Highway
Synopsis
Gujarat police intercepted a container with over 32,000 bottles of IMFL worth ₹1.11 crore on the Sanand-Viramgam Highway — part of a surge in liquor seizures following the Bhavnagar spurious liquor deaths. The alleged network spans Rajasthan and Gujarat, with five persons sought and the full supply chain under scrutiny.
Key Takeaways
Sanand GIDC Police seized 32,392 IMFL bottles in 1,200 boxes from a container near Virpur Patiya on 23 August .
Total value of seized goods and vehicle estimated at ₹1,36,19,688 ; liquor alone valued at ₹1,11,03,388 .
Driver Kartaram Meghwal , 30, of Barmer, Rajasthan , was arrested; five persons in total are being sought.
The alleged consignment was dispatched by Surendra Yadav of Ajmer, Rajasthan ; three recipients from Surendranagar district have been named.
The crackdown follows a spurious liquor tragedy in Bhavnagar district that claimed 13 lives .
Police are probing the full supply chain — procurement, financing, loading, and intended delivery.
Sanand GIDC Police intercepted a container carrying 32,392 bottles of Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL), packed in approximately 1,200 boxes, near Virpur Patiya on the Sanand-Viramgam Highway on 23 August, in one of the larger single-haul liquor seizures recorded in Ahmedabad Rural district in recent months. The total value of seized goods and the vehicle is estimated at ₹1,36,19,688.
How the Seizure Unfolded
Acting on specific intelligence about an IMFL consignment in transit, a team led by Police Inspector A.M. Desai of Sanand GIDC Police Station intercepted the container and conducted a thorough search. Officers recovered liquor valued at ₹1,11,03,388, along with the truck and container worth ₹25 lakh, three mobile phones worth ₹15,000, and ₹1,300 in cash.
The container driver, Kartaram Meghwal, 30, a resident of Purava in Dhorimana taluka of Rajasthan's Barmer district, was arrested at the scene.
The Alleged Network Behind the Consignment
According to police, the consignment was allegedly dispatched by Surendra Yadav, a resident of Ajmer district in Rajasthan. The container is reportedly owned by Mehraram Manaram of Dhola Der in Barmer, who has also been named in the investigation.
Investigators have further identified three individuals from Sudamda in Surendranagar district as allegedly involved in receiving or procuring the consignment on the Gujarat end — Devendra alias Dendu Boricha, Nagaraj Khachar, and Devayat Khartani. In total, five persons are being sought in connection with the case.
Scope of the Investigation
Investigators are currently examining the entire supply chain — covering procurement, financial transactions, loading, transportation, and the intended delivery point of the consignment. Police said efforts are ongoing to trace the remaining accused and establish each person's specific role in the operation.
Notably, authorities are also probing whether additional individuals were part of the broader distribution network, suggesting the operation may extend beyond the five persons already identified.
Context: Crackdown After Bhavnagar Tragedy
The seizure comes amid a heightened crackdown on illegal liquor networks across Gujarat, which enforces prohibition under state law. The intensified action follows a spurious liquor tragedy in Bhavnagar district that claimed 13 lives, prompting multiple units of the police department to step up surveillance on IMFL consignments entering the state. Separate agencies have recorded several large seizures in recent months, indicating sustained cross-border smuggling activity.
Police said the investigation remains active, with efforts continuing to dismantle the full supply chain behind this consignment.
Point of View
000 bottles routed from Rajasthan into prohibition-bound Gujarat — points to a logistics operation too organised to be opportunistic. The cross-state network, with alleged links in Ajmer, Barmer, and Surendranagar, suggests entrenched supply chains that one arrest will not disrupt. The Bhavnagar tragedy may have triggered the current crackdown, but the frequency of large seizures in recent months raises an uncomfortable question: how many consignments were not intercepted? Gujarat's prohibition regime is only as strong as the intelligence networks that enforce it at the borders.
NationPress
24 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Where and when was the Gujarat IMFL liquor consignment seized?
The seizure took place on 23 August near Virpur Patiya on the Sanand-Viramgam Highway in Ahmedabad Rural district. Sanand GIDC Police, led by Police Inspector A.M. Desai, intercepted the container based on prior intelligence.
How much liquor was seized and what is its value?
Police recovered 32,392 bottles of IMFL packed in around 1,200 boxes, valued at ₹1,11,03,388. Including the seized truck, container, mobile phones, and cash, the total value of seized property stands at ₹1,36,19,688.
Who has been arrested and who else is being sought?
Container driver Kartaram Meghwal, 30, of Barmer district in Rajasthan was arrested at the scene. Four others — including the alleged consignment dispatcher Surendra Yadav of Ajmer and three recipients from Surendranagar district — are being sought, bringing the total to five persons.
Why has Gujarat intensified its liquor crackdown?
The heightened enforcement follows a spurious liquor tragedy in Bhavnagar district that claimed 13 lives. Multiple police units have since stepped up surveillance on IMFL consignments entering the state, leading to several large seizures in recent months.
What is the current status of the investigation?
Police are examining the full supply chain, including procurement, financial transactions, loading, transportation, and the intended delivery point. Efforts are ongoing to trace the remaining accused and determine whether additional individuals are part of the network.
