Gujarat Police seize ₹56 lakh IMFL in twin prohibition raids in Kheda, Anand
Synopsis
Gujarat's State Monitoring Cell dismantled two inter-state liquor supply operations in a single day, seizing over ₹56 lakh worth of IMFL in Kheda and Anand. The Vasad raid exposed a Goa-to-Gujarat supply chain using a pickup truck — a reminder that Gujarat's six-decade-old prohibition law continues to generate organised smuggling networks rather than eliminate demand.
Key Takeaways
Gujarat Police's State Monitoring Cell conducted two prohibition raids in Kheda and Anand districts on 6 July .
Total seizure across both operations: IMFL and property valued at over ₹56 lakh .
The Kheda raid recovered 5,940 bottles of IMFL worth ₹41,43,396 ; total property seized valued at ₹56,48,396 .
The Anand raid recovered 7,833 bottles of IMFL worth ₹14,88,239 ; total seizure valued at ₹21,99,009 .
Arman Babar of Junagadh was arrested; Adil Nazir Sheikh , Faesal Majidbhai , and Tausif Ibrahim Sheikh named as wanted accused.
Interrogation revealed the consignment was sourced from Goa and transported via a Bolero Maxx Pickup vehicle.
The Gujarat Police's State Monitoring Cell seized Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) and other property worth over ₹56 lakh in two separate prohibition raids conducted in Kheda and Anand districts on 6 July, leading to the arrest of one person and the registration of cases against multiple accused. The operations were carried out under instructions from Director General of Police (DGP) G.S. Malik to crack down on illegal liquor and gambling activities across Gujarat.
Key Developments
In the larger of the two operations, Police Inspector A.Y. Baloch of the State Monitoring Cell raided the parking area of Hotel Sahayog in Sandhana village on National Highway-64, within the jurisdiction of Matar Police Station in Kheda district. Officers recovered 5,940 bottles of IMFL valued at ₹41,43,396; including other seized property, the total haul was worth ₹56,48,396. A prohibition case was registered against four wanted accused under Sections 65(A)(E), 81, 83, 98(2) and 116(B) of the Gujarat Prohibition Act.
The Vasad Operation and Arrest
In a simultaneous action, Police Inspector P.B. Jebaliya led a team to Vasad Toll Plaza on the Vadodara-Ahmedabad road within the jurisdiction of Vasad Police Station in Anand district. The team seized 7,833 bottles of IMFL worth ₹14,88,239; total property recovered in this raid was valued at ₹21,99,009.
Police arrested Arman Babar, a resident of Mangrol in Junagadh district, at the scene. Three others were named as wanted accused: Adil Nazir Sheikh, identified as the main accused; Faesal Majidbhai, who allegedly provided the vehicle used to transport the consignment; and Tausif Ibrahim Sheikh, who allegedly arranged and loaded the liquor. All three wanted accused are residents of Junagadh district.
How the Network Operated
During interrogation, Arman Babar reportedly stated that he acted on the instructions of main accused Adil Nazir Sheikh. According to officials, 'He collected a Bolero Maxx Pickup vehicle from Faesal Majidbhai, travelled to Goa and returned with the IMFL consignment after it had been loaded through Tausif Ibrahim Sheikh.' The route — Goa to Gujarat via the Vadodara-Ahmedabad highway — points to an inter-state supply chain exploiting Gujarat's prohibition regime.
Context and What's Next
Gujarat has maintained prohibition since 1960, making it one of the few states in India with a near-total ban on alcohol. Despite this, liquor smuggling operations — often sourcing stock from neighbouring Goa, Rajasthan, and Maharashtra — remain a persistent enforcement challenge. This is the latest in a series of large-scale IMFL seizures carried out by the State Monitoring Cell in recent months. Both cases are registered at their respective police stations, and a search for the three wanted accused is ongoing.
Point of View
One day, two districts — and a supply chain that runs all the way to Goa. The scale of these seizures underlines that Gujarat's prohibition law, now over six decades old, has not suppressed demand so much as formalised a black market with its own logistics networks. The DGP-level directive that triggered these operations signals political will at the top, but enforcement without demand-side reform tends to be a revolving door: arrest one carrier, and the network recruits another. The inter-state dimension — Goa as source, Gujarat as market, Junagadh as the operational base — also raises a question that state-level policing cannot answer alone: when does this become a matter for central coordination?
NationPress
8 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Gujarat Police seize in the Kheda and Anand raids?
Gujarat Police seized a combined total of IMFL and other property worth over ₹56 lakh across two raids. The Kheda operation yielded 5,940 bottles of IMFL valued at ₹41,43,396, with total seized property worth ₹56,48,396, while the Anand operation netted 7,833 bottles worth ₹14,88,239, with total seizures valued at ₹21,99,009.
Who was arrested and who are the wanted accused?
Arman Babar, a resident of Mangrol in Junagadh district, was arrested at the Vasad Toll Plaza. Three others — Adil Nazir Sheikh (main accused), Faesal Majidbhai (allegedly provided the vehicle), and Tausif Ibrahim Sheikh (allegedly arranged and loaded the consignment) — were named as wanted accused, all residents of Junagadh district.
How was the liquor being smuggled into Gujarat?
According to officials, Arman Babar collected a Bolero Maxx Pickup vehicle from Faesal Majidbhai, travelled to Goa, and returned with the IMFL consignment after it was loaded by Tausif Ibrahim Sheikh. The liquor was being transported along the Vadodara-Ahmedabad road when intercepted.
Under which laws were the cases registered?
Cases in both raids were registered under Sections 65(A)(E), 81, 83, 98(2), and 116(B) of the Gujarat Prohibition Act. The Kheda case was filed against four wanted accused, while the Anand case led to one arrest and three wanted accused.
Why does Gujarat have prohibition laws?
Gujarat has enforced prohibition since 1960, making it one of the few Indian states with a near-total ban on alcohol. The law is rooted in the state's Gandhian heritage. Despite the ban, liquor smuggling — often sourcing stock from neighbouring Goa, Rajasthan, and Maharashtra — remains a persistent challenge for law enforcement.
