Two held in fake CRPF uniforms for smuggling liquor; 502 cartons seized in Haryana’s Panipat

The liquor was being transported from Patiala in Punjab to Bihar, a dry state, covering a distance of over 1,300 km. Police said the accused were paid ₹25,000 per trip.

Panipat police on Thursday arrested two men allegedly smuggling illicit liquor while posing as personnel of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). The accused were travelling in a blue canter bearing a “Police” sticker and were found carrying 502 cartons of liquor, officials said.

The arrested men were identified as Monu Kumar and Sandeep Singh, residents of Khojkipur and Atta villages in Samalkha sub-division, respectively.

The liquor was being transported from Patiala in Punjab to Bihar, a dry state, covering a distance of over 1,300 km. Police said the accused were paid ₹25,000 per trip.

The arrested men were identified as Monu Kumar and Sandeep Singh, residents of Khojkipur and Atta villages in Samalkha sub-division, respectively. They were produced before a court and remanded to five days in police custody.

DSP (Headquarters) Satish Vats said the CIA-1 team, led by inspector Phool Kumar, acted on a tip-off that two men in CRPF uniforms were resting inside a truck parked at Sector 40. During a search, police recovered fake CRPF identity cards bearing the names Rajinder Singh and Sukhwinder Singh, with the rank of constable (GD).

On interrogation, the duo allegedly admitted to wearing CRPF uniforms and using forged identity cards to avoid suspicion during transportation. In the presence of an excise official, police searched the vehicle and recovered 35 cases of McDowell’s whisky, 181 cases of Imperial Blue whisky and 286 cases of Thunderbolt beer. The accused had no permit or licence for the consignment.

Police said this may have been their second or third such trip. A case has been registered at Sector 13/17 police station under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Excise Act.