Surendranagar, Feb 4 (NationPress) - The Local Crime Branch (LCB) of Surendranagar Police has successfully intercepted a significant shipment of illicit foreign liquor valued at Rs 85.66 lakh from a truck stationed along the Chotila–Sayla National Highway, as confirmed by officials on Wednesday.

The contraband was cleverly hidden beneath bags of fertiliser, and the overall valuation of the confiscated items, which includes the vehicle and additional materials, stands at Rs 1.06 crore.

This operation was initiated following precise intelligence received by the LCB, adhering to directives from SP Premsukh Delu aimed at intensifying actions against prohibition offenses.

The intelligence suggested that a truck located in the premises of Gopal Hotel near the Sangani village intersection in Chotila taluka was transporting a large quantity of illegal liquor.

During routine highway surveillance, an LCB squad led by Police Inspector and Police Sub-Inspector J. Y. Pathan, along with other personnel, executed a raid at the specified site.

A thorough inspection of the truck resulted in the discovery of 11,496 bottles of foreign liquor concealed beneath fertiliser bags.

Authorities indicated that the confiscated items included foreign liquor bottles worth Rs 85,66,800, a truck trailer valued at Rs 20 lakh, 225 bags of fertiliser worth Rs 67,500, a mobile phone valued at Rs 500, and various related materials.

The total worth of the seized goods has been estimated at Rs 1,06,34,800.

In confirmation of the seizure, Delu stated that the district police are enforcing stringent surveillance on highways to prevent illegal liquor trafficking.

"Thanks to specific inputs, the LCB team was able to successfully intercept a significant amount of foreign liquor being transported in breach of the Prohibition Act. An ongoing investigation aims to identify and capture everyone involved in this operation," he stated.

A case has been filed at Chotila Police Station under the provisions of the Prohibition Act against the truck driver, the owner of the vehicle, and unidentified individuals associated with the liquor consignment.

Currently, all suspects are at large, and police teams have been assembled to locate them and dismantle the network orchestrating this operation.

This seizure takes place amidst ongoing efforts to combat illegal liquor trafficking throughout the state.

In a comparable incident, enforcement agencies recently confiscated foreign liquor worth approximately Rs 1.79 crore from a truck parked at a hotel compound along the Rajkot–Ahmedabad highway in Surat district.