Gujarat Police seize ₹77.71 lakh illegal liquor in Jamnagar raid
Synopsis
Gujarat's State Monitoring Cell recovered nearly 6,000 bottles of IMFL and beer worth ₹77.71 lakh from an agricultural field in Jamnagar — the latest strike in a widening crackdown that has now netted over ₹3.5 crore in illegal liquor across multiple districts this year alone, with accused traced as far as Rajasthan's Barmer district.
Key Takeaways
Gujarat Police's SMC seized ₹77.71 lakh worth of IMFL and beer — 5,978 bottles in 500 cartons — from Sanosari village, Jamnagar on 29 July .
Total value of all confiscated property, including vehicles and other articles, stands at ₹1,00,85,530 .
Three persons arrested; 13 others named as wanted, including alleged source Pavan Singh of Barmer, Rajasthan .
Accused booked under the Gujarat Prohibition Act and Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 .
The raid follows a series of large SMC hauls in Kutch, Ahmedabad Rural , and Rajkot this year, reflecting an intensified statewide prohibition drive.
Gujarat Police's State Monitoring Cell (SMC) seized Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) and beer worth ₹77.71 lakh during a prohibition raid in Jamnagar district on 29 July, with the total value of all confiscated property — including vehicles and other articles — estimated at over ₹1 crore. Three persons have been arrested and 13 others named as wanted in connection with an alleged interstate liquor supply network.
How the Raid Unfolded
The operation was conducted at an agricultural field in Sanosari village under Lalpur police station limits, led by Police Inspector P.P. Brahmbhatt of the State Monitoring Cell. The raid followed directions from Gujarat Director General of Police G.S. Malik to intensify enforcement against illegal liquor and gambling activities statewide.
Officers recovered approximately 500 cartons of IMFL and beer containing 5,978 bottles, valued at ₹77,71,400. The total value of all seized property, including vehicles and other articles, was placed at ₹1,00,85,530.
Who Has Been Arrested and Named
The three arrested individuals have been identified as Nagabhai Dangar of Sanosari village, Jamnagar district; Hemat Dangar of Vanandevari Sim area in Lalpur taluka, Jamnagar; and Surajprakash Jat of Mirpura Charanoni Dhaniya in Jalore district, Rajasthan.
Among the 13 wanted accused, police allege that Govind Danga of Sanosari village procured the liquor consignment, Jitendransinh of Ashapura Colony in Jalore arranged its loading and dispatch, and Pavan Singh of Barmer district is the principal source behind the consignment. Owners of three seized vehicles and seven other persons have also been booked.
Charges Filed
The accused have been booked under Sections 65(A)(E), 81, 83, 98(2) and 116(B) of the Gujarat Prohibition Act, along with Sections 238, 336(3), 336(4) and 340(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.
Part of a Wider Crackdown
The Jamnagar seizure is the latest in a sustained enforcement push by the SMC across Gujarat. Earlier in July, the cell seized IMFL and beer worth over ₹48.35 lakh in Kutch, with total confiscated property valued at ₹78.57 lakh. In June, the agency recorded one of its largest hauls of the year — IMFL worth over ₹1.49 crore on the Vadodara-Ahmedabad Expressway near Bibipura in Ahmedabad Rural. A separate June operation near Rajkot on National Highway 27 near Bharudi Toll Plaza yielded IMFL worth over ₹1.51 crore.
The SMC has also conducted raids in Kheda, Gandhinagar, Chhotaudepur, Banaskantha, and Mehsana, targeting alleged interstate smuggling networks channelling prohibited liquor into the state. The pattern of arrests — including accused from Rajasthan's Jalore and Barmer districts — points to a cross-border supply chain that authorities are working to dismantle.
Point of View
Yet the volume and frequency of these seizures raise a pointed question: is enforcement dismantling the supply chain, or merely taxing its operating costs? Until the alleged principals — not just the carriers — face sustained prosecution, the crackdown risks being a headline exercise rather than a structural deterrent.
NationPress
30 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What was seized in the Jamnagar liquor raid?
Gujarat Police's State Monitoring Cell recovered approximately 500 cartons containing 5,978 bottles of IMFL and beer worth ₹77.71 lakh from an agricultural field in Sanosari village, Jamnagar. The total value of all seized property, including vehicles and other articles, was estimated at over ₹1 crore.
Who has been arrested in connection with the Jamnagar liquor case?
Three persons have been arrested: Nagabhai Dangar of Sanosari village, Hemat Dangar of Lalpur taluka in Jamnagar, and Surajprakash Jat of Jalore district, Rajasthan. Thirteen others, including the alleged principal source Pavan Singh of Barmer, Rajasthan, have been named as wanted.
Under which laws have the accused been charged?
The accused face charges under Sections 65(A)(E), 81, 83, 98(2), and 116(B) of the Gujarat Prohibition Act, as well as Sections 238, 336(3), 336(4), and 340(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.
Is this part of a larger crackdown on illegal liquor in Gujarat?
Yes. The Jamnagar operation is the latest in a series of SMC-led raids across Gujarat in 2025. Earlier seizures include hauls worth ₹48.35 lakh in Kutch, ₹1.49 crore near Ahmedabad, and ₹1.51 crore near Rajkot, with operations also conducted in Kheda, Gandhinagar, and Banaskantha.
Who ordered the intensified prohibition raids in Gujarat?
The crackdown was ordered by Gujarat Director General of Police G.S. Malik, who directed the State Monitoring Cell to step up action against illegal liquor and gambling activities across the state.
