Gujarat Police seize liquor worth ₹45.35 lakh in four raids across three days
Synopsis
Gujarat's State Monitoring Cell wrapped up a three-day blitz that pulled over 14,800 bottles of IMFL and beer off the streets across four cities, exposing an alleged interstate supply network with roots in Rajasthan. At over ₹77 lakh in total property seized, the operation signals renewed enforcement muscle behind the state's long-standing prohibition regime.
Key Takeaways
Gujarat Police's State Monitoring Cell conducted four raids between 18–20 September 2026 in Ahmedabad , Mehsana , Surendranagar , and Surat .
A combined 14,871 bottles of IMFL and beer worth ₹45.35 lakh were seized; total property value including vehicles and other material exceeded ₹77 lakh .
At least four people were arrested across the operations; multiple others remain wanted.
The Ahmedabad raid alone netted 5,030 bottles valued at ₹15,58,800 , with total seizures from that operation reaching ₹30,58,800 .
Cases were registered under the Prohibition Act and Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 ; arrested accused include a Rajasthan resident, pointing to an alleged interstate supply chain.
The raids were conducted on directions from DGP G.S.
Malik targeting illegal liquor and gambling activities statewide.
The Gujarat Police's State Monitoring Cell (SMC) seized Indian-made foreign liquor (IMFL) and beer worth ₹45.35 lakh in four separate raids across Ahmedabad, Mehsana, Surendranagar, and Surat over three days ending 21 September 2026. When vehicles and other seized material are included, the total value of property recovered from the operations exceeds ₹77 lakh, officials said.
Key Raids and Recoveries
The most recent operation was conducted in Ahmedabad on Sunday, 20 September, near Hanspura Overbridge on Sardar Patel Ring Road along the route from Dahegam towards Ahmedabad. Led by Police Sub-Inspector D.A. Tuvar, the raid netted approximately 105 boxes containing 5,030 bottles of IMFL and beer valued at ₹15,58,800. Including a seized vehicle and other material, the total haul from this operation was valued at ₹30,58,800. A case was registered at Naroda Police Station against 10 accused — one arrested and nine wanted — under Sections 65(A)(E), 81, 83 and 116(B) of the Prohibition Act and Sections 336(2), 336(3) and 340(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023. The arrested accused, Jitendra alias Jitu Damor (Meena), is a resident of Kherwada taluka in Udaipur district, Rajasthan.
A day earlier, on Saturday, 19 September, PSI D.A. Tuvar led a second raid at the parking area of Sahyog Hotel near Chotila in Surendranagar district, off Ahmedabad-Rajkot National Highway 47. Officers recovered 94 boxes containing 4,326 bottles worth ₹13,03,315, and one vehicle — bringing the total seizure value to ₹20,03,315. Four wanted accused have been named, including the driver, the vehicle owner, and the individuals who allegedly sent and ordered the consignment.
On 18 September, Police Inspector P.P. Brahmbhatt conducted a raid near D-Mart Circle on Mehsana Bypass Road, opposite Osiya Mall, recovering 91 boxes with 3,372 bottles valued at ₹10,13,544. A vehicle, a mobile phone, and other material raised the total seized value to ₹20,43,544. Navrang Bhat was arrested, while Anand Raval of Sathiyala and the vehicle's owner and FASTag holder were listed as wanted at Mehsana Taluka Police Station.
Surat Operations
In Surat city, PSI A.G. Enurkar led raids at Singanpor village and at a room near Krupa Residency in Dargah Mohalla, seizing 55 boxes containing 2,143 bottles valued at ₹6,59,783. With two mobile phones, cash, and other material included, total seizure value reached ₹6,76,273. Two accused — Rahul Vamanrao Lakdu (Ahire) and Shubham Kashyap — were arrested. Divyaben alias Dipu Patil, Jitubhai Patil, and alleged suppliers remain wanted.
DGP's Directive Behind the Crackdown
The State Monitoring Cell confirmed the raids were carried out pursuant to directions from Director General of Police G.S. Malik to take strict legal action against illegal liquor and gambling activities across the state. Gujarat remains a prohibition state under its Prohibition Act, making unlicensed manufacture, possession, transport, and sale of alcohol a cognisable offence. The cross-border supply chain — with accused traced to Rajasthan — points to an organised interstate network, a pattern that enforcement agencies have flagged repeatedly in prior seizures.
Legal Provisions Invoked
Cases across the four operations were registered under multiple sections of the Prohibition Act — including Sections 65(A)(E), 81, 83, 98(2) and 116(B) — as well as relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023. Investigators say the enforcement drive is expected to continue, with further operations likely in the coming days.
Point of View
With accused traced to Rajasthan, signal that Gujarat's illegal liquor pipeline is not a local street trade but a structured interstate operation. The DGP-level directive behind this crackdown is notable — centralised push tends to produce short bursts of seizures, but sustained disruption requires dismantling supply chains, not just intercepting consignments. With nine to ten accused still wanted in the Ahmedabad case alone, the real test of this enforcement drive is whether investigators can work backwards from the arrested couriers to the network's financiers.
NationPress
21 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did the Gujarat Police seize in the three-day liquor raids?
The State Monitoring Cell seized approximately 14,871 bottles of IMFL and beer worth ₹45.35 lakh across four raids in Ahmedabad, Mehsana, Surendranagar, and Surat between 18 and 20 September 2026. Including vehicles, mobile phones, and cash, total property seized exceeded ₹77 lakh.
Who ordered the Gujarat liquor crackdown?
The raids were conducted on the directions of Director General of Police G.S. Malik, who had instructed the State Monitoring Cell to take strict legal action against illegal liquor and gambling activities across Gujarat. The cell deployed multiple police sub-inspectors and inspectors across the four cities.
How many people were arrested in the Gujarat liquor raids?
At least four people were arrested across the four operations: Jitendra alias Jitu Damor in Ahmedabad, Navrang Bhat in Mehsana, and Rahul Vamanrao Lakdu (Ahire) and Shubham Kashyap in Surat. Several other accused, including alleged suppliers and those who ordered the consignments, remain wanted.
Why is liquor seized as a criminal offence in Gujarat?
Gujarat is a prohibition state and bans the manufacture, possession, transport, and sale of alcohol under its Prohibition Act. Violations are cognisable offences, and cases in these raids were registered under multiple sections of the Prohibition Act alongside sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.
Does the seized liquor point to an interstate network?
According to officials, the arrested accused in the Ahmedabad case — Jitendra alias Jitu Damor — is a resident of Kherwada taluka in Udaipur district, Rajasthan, and multiple wanted accused are also linked to Rajasthan. This suggests the alleged supply chain crosses state borders, a pattern that has been flagged in earlier Gujarat prohibition enforcement operations.
