Valsad LCB seizes ₹14.2 lakh liquor hidden in rice husk, driver arrested
Synopsis
Gujarat's Valsad LCB cracked a classic concealment trick — 8,940 bottles of whisky, vodka, and beer buried under rice husk in a pick-up truck on NH-48. With ₹22.57 lakh in total property seized and two suspects still at large, the case highlights the persistence of liquor smuggling routes from Silvassa into dry-state Gujarat.
Key Takeaways
LCB Valsad seized ₹14.20 lakh worth of IMFL hidden under rice husk in a Tata Tempo on 26 July on National Highway 48 .
The consignment comprised 8,940 bottles and cans of whisky, vodka, and beer totalling 1,809.360 litres in 203 boxes .
Total seized property — including the vehicle, sacks, and mobile phone — was valued at ₹22,57,444 .
Driver Himmat Solanki , 38 , of Moti Fafni village, Gir Somnath , was arrested at the scene.
Two wanted accused, including one identified as Manubhai of Una , are still being sought by police.
A case has been registered at Dungri Police Station under the Gujarat Prohibition Act .
The Local Crime Branch (LCB) of Valsad district in Gujarat seized Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) worth ₹14.20 lakh on Sunday, 26 July, after intercepting a pick-up truck allegedly carrying the consignment from Silvassa to Una. The liquor had been concealed beneath 100 plastic sacks of rice husk in an apparent bid to evade detection during prohibition checks.
How the Seizure Unfolded
LCB personnel led by PSI J.G. Vasava were conducting prohibition patrol in the district when Assistant Police Constable Tejpalsinh Mahendrasinh received specific intelligence about a vehicle transporting illicit liquor. Acting on the tip, the team intercepted a brown Tata Tempo near Fair Company on National Highway 48 at Dungri on the Mumbai-Surat road.
A search of the vehicle revealed 203 boxes of IMFL — including whisky, vodka, and beer — stacked beneath the rice husk sacks. The consignment totalled 8,940 bottles and cans with a combined volume of 1,809.360 litres, valued at ₹14,20,944.
Total Property Seized
Beyond the liquor, officers seized the pick-up truck valued at ₹8 lakh, the rice husk sacks worth ₹31,500, and a mobile phone worth ₹5,000 recovered from the driver. The total value of all seized property was estimated at ₹22,57,444.
Accused Identified
The driver, Himmat Solanki, 38, a resident of Moti Fafni village in Kodinar taluka of Gir Somnath district, was arrested at the scene. Police have also named two wanted accused: one identified only as Manubhai, a resident of Una in Gir Somnath district, who allegedly arranged the transportation and procurement of the consignment; and an unidentified associate of Manubhai who allegedly provided the vehicle.
Oversight and Legal Action
The operation was conducted under the directions of Surat Range Inspector General of Police Prem Veer Singh and Valsad Superintendent of Police Yuvrajsinh Jadeja, and supervised on the ground by LCB Police Inspector A.U. Roz. A complaint was lodged at Dungri Police Station under the relevant provisions of the Gujarat Prohibition Act. The arrested accused and all seized property have been handed over to Dungri Police Station, which is conducting further investigation.
This seizure is part of an ongoing district-wide drive against prohibition-related offences, and authorities have indicated that the hunt for the two wanted accused remains active.
Point of View
Exploiting the union territory's legal liquor sales to supply demand in dry Gujarat. The rice-husk concealment method is neither new nor sophisticated, which raises a harder question: how many such consignments clear the same highway undetected? The two wanted accused still at large suggest the supply chain runs deeper than a single driver, and until the organising layer — here, the alleged procurer Manubhai — is prosecuted, enforcement actions will keep producing arrests without dismantling networks.
NationPress
26 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What was seized in the Valsad liquor bust on 26 July?
The Local Crime Branch seized 8,940 bottles and cans of Indian Made Foreign Liquor — including whisky, vodka, and beer — worth ₹14.20 lakh, hidden under rice husk in a Tata Tempo on NH-48. Total seized property, including the vehicle and other items, was valued at ₹22,57,444.
Who was arrested in the Valsad IMFL seizure case?
Driver Himmat Solanki, 38, a resident of Moti Fafni village in Kodinar taluka of Gir Somnath district, was arrested at the scene. Two other accused — including one identified as Manubhai of Una — have been named as wanted and are being sought by police.
Where was the liquor being smuggled from and to?
The consignment was allegedly being transported from Silvassa — a union territory where liquor is legally sold — to Una in Gir Somnath district of Gujarat, which is a prohibition state. The truck was intercepted on National Highway 48 at Dungri in Valsad district.
Under what law was the case registered?
A complaint was lodged at Dungri Police Station under the relevant provisions of the Gujarat Prohibition Act. The seized property and the arrested accused have been handed over to Dungri Police Station for further investigation.
Who led the operation?
The operation was conducted under the directions of Surat Range IG Prem Veer Singh and Valsad SP Yuvrajsinh Jadeja, supervised on the ground by LCB PI A.U. Roz, with field teams led by PSI J.G. Vasava.
