Seizure of Illicit Liquor Worth Rs 6.89 Lakh in Vadodara; One Detained
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Synopsis
Illicit liquor worth Rs 6.89 lakh was seized in Vadodara, Gujarat. One person was arrested, while two others are wanted. The operation highlights ongoing challenges with illegal liquor in the state despite prohibition laws.
Key Takeaways
- Seizure of illicit liquor worth Rs 6.89 lakh.
- One individual arrested, with two others wanted.
- Raids conducted based on a tip-off.
- Link to habitual offender Suvalal Panchal.
- State continues to face challenges with illegal liquor.
Vadodara, Feb 19 (NationPress) Illicit liquor valued at Rs 6.89 lakh was confiscated in the Bapod police station jurisdiction in Gujarat's Vadodara, according to officials on Wednesday.
During the operation, one individual was apprehended, while two others, including a suspect hailing from Rajasthan and an unidentified container driver, have been declared wanted, the officials mentioned.
Following a tip-off, a police squad raided a warehouse located opposite Marutidham Society, uncovering a stockpile of illegal liquor.
The site was linked to Suvalal Panchal, a habitual offender who had previously been arrested for similar prohibition infractions.
Panchal, residing in Jivan Nagar, Waghodia Road, Vadodara, was taken into custody.
The raid resulted in the recovery of foreign liquor, mobile devices, and cash, summing up to approximately Rs 7 lakh in total seizures.
While Panchal was detained, efforts were ongoing to capture the other two suspects.
Despite Gujarat's alcohol prohibition that has been in place since 1948, the state continues to face significant issues relating to illegal liquor operations.
In the first half of 2024, the State Monitoring Cell (SMC) executed 224 raids across various districts and cities, achieving success in 180 operations.
These initiatives led to the confiscation of around Rs 11.5 crore worth of liquor and an additional Rs 26 crore in illegal products.
Notably, Ahmedabad reported the highest count of prohibition cases among the state's four police commissionerates, with 17 cases, followed by Surat with 13, Vadodara with five, and none recorded in Rajkot.
This pattern reflects data from 2023, where Ahmedabad accounted for 37 out of 83 liquor-related cases logged by the SMC. In comparison, in 2021, the SMC conducted 148 successful raids throughout the year, seizing Rs 13.64 crore worth of liquor and Rs 6.90 crore in illegal goods. The rise in enforcement activities over the years highlights the persistent efforts to tackle illicit liquor operations within the state.
