In a major seizure of smuggled liquor, as many as 250 cartons of alcohol, meant for sale in Chandigarh, were recovered from a pickup vehicle in Gharuan village in Mohali.
A team led by excise inspector Vikas Bhateja and Kharar DSP Karan Sandhu made the seizure, leading to the arrest of two vehicle occupants Amandeep Singh and Joginder Singh, alias Raju, of Baghapurana.
Divulging details, assistant commissioner (Excise), Mohali, Ashok Chalhotra said a special campaign was launched in Mohali on Monday to curb the incessant menace of illegal smuggling of liquor from Chandigarh side.
On Tuesday, an excise department team and Kharar police, acting on a tip-off, set up a naka near Gharuan village on the Ludhiana-Chandigarh road, near the flyover.
There, a Mahindra Bolero Pickup, bearing registration number PB-31L-3924, was stopped for checking and 250 cartons of illegal liquor was recovered. This included 224 cartons of whisky and 26 of rum.
“This is one of the five major catches of liquor in the recent past where liquor was being smuggled into the state of Punjab from Chandigarh. As per provisions of the Punjab Excise Act, 1914, smuggling of liquor is illegal and a punishable offence. At the same time, it is detrimental to the revenue of the state. The action of the excise department against liquor smuggling will be further accelerated in future in collaboration with the Mohali police,” Chalhotra said.
{{/usCountry}}“This is one of the five major catches of liquor in the recent past where liquor was being smuggled into the state of Punjab from Chandigarh. As per provisions of the Punjab Excise Act, 1914, smuggling of liquor is illegal and a punishable offence. At the same time, it is detrimental to the revenue of the state. The action of the excise department against liquor smuggling will be further accelerated in future in collaboration with the Mohali police,” Chalhotra said.
{{/usCountry}}Both accused were booked under relevant sections of the Punjab Excise Act at Sadar Kharar police station.
Both the accused were produced before a Kharar court on Wednesday that sent to police custody till January 10.
“We will investigate further to trace the kingpin and check the criminal background of the accused, if any, during interrogation. There is a possibility of a big racket here,” a senior excise officer said.