Truck with 1,055 cartons of illegal liquor seized, two arrested

Police in Gurugram arrested two suspects and seized 1,055 cartons of Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) being smuggled to Bihar through the Kundli-Manesar-Palwal Expressway. The liquor, smuggled from Punjab, was hidden below sacks of grain in a truck. Police suspect a major racket involved in smuggling IMFL from Punjab to Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.

Gurugram: Police on Thursday arrested two suspects and seized 1,055 cartons of Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL), which were being smuggled to Bihar through the Kundli-Manesar-Palwal (KMP) Expressway near Bilaspur. As per police, the liquor was smuggled from Punjab.

Truck with 1,055 cartons of illegal liquor seized, two arrested

The suspects were identified as truck driver Govardhan Singh (45), of Barmer, Rajasthan, and helper Naveen Kumar (35), of Sonipat.

Police said in order to avoid suspicion, the suspects had hidden the liquor cartons below sacks of grain. The truck, bearing a Haryana registration number, was seized but police are yet to identify its owner.

Varun Dahiya, assistant commissioner of police (crime), said they received a tip-off around midnight and a team was formed to nab the suspects. “The truck was seen coming from the Badli-Jhajjar side and had reached near village Langra in Bilaspur when the police team intercepted it,” he said.

ACP Dahiya said when police personnel signalled the truck to stop, both the driver and helper tried to flee from the spot but were caught after a chase. “We seized the truck around 12.30am on Thursday. It was intercepted on the basis of specific intelligence,” he said.

Police said the liquor was sourced from a distillery in Punjab and was being taken to Bihar, where liquor is banned.

Investigators said they suspect a major racket that is involved in smuggling IMFL from Punjab to Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, where it is sold through illegal channels at higher rates.

ACP Dahiya said the registration papers of the truck were also found to be fake.

As per police, the modus operandi adopted by the gang members is unique as four to five drivers are employed to transport the illicit liquor. The drivers have to cover a specific distance only and they neither know the origin nor the destination of the consignment. “That way, the kingpin ensures that even if a truck is intercepted, the network remains intact and the illegal trade continues,” said ACP Dahiya.

Incidentally, on June 9 this year, 11,988 IMFL bottles loaded in a sealed container truck were seized in IMT Manesar. Police said the entire consignment was to be smuggled either to Gujarat or Bihar — both of which are ‘dry’ states.