E-Paper
STF nabs three with illegal liquor worth ₹90 lakh in Amethi
STF in Prayagraj arrests 3 members of inter-state gang of liquor smugglers in Amethi. They were carrying 631 cartons of English liquor to be sold in Bihar. Estimated value of seized liquor is ₹90 lakh. Gang operated from Chandigarh and Haryana, supplying to states where liquor is banned.
In a major breakthrough, the Prayagraj unit of the Special Task Force (STF) on Monday arrested three members of an inter-state gang of liquor smugglers in Amethi district. The accused were carrying 631 cartons of English liquor in a truck all the way from Punjab which was to be sold in Bihar. The estimated cost of the seized liquor is around ₹90 lakh, STF officials said.
DSP STF Navendu Kumar said an STF team under sub-inspector Ranendra Kumar Singh was active in Kamrauli area of the Amethi district when they received a tip off about a truck carrying illegal liquor to Bihar. The STF team along with local police intercepted the truck near Utelwa bus stop on the Lucknow-Sultanpur Highway.
On being checked the truck was found loaded with 631 cartons of English liquor of a popular brand stuffed in sacks. Three persons who were in the truck were arrested and were identified as Gurpreet Singh, Krishna Nath and Ashu of Amabala district of Punjab.
Questioning from the accused revealed that they were working for an organised gang of illegal liquor smugglers operating from Chandigarh and other places in Haryana and Punjab. The gang members Pawan Kumar, Manveer Singh and Yogesh of Haryana were supplying illegal liquor for the past ten years to different parts of the country especially to those states where liquor is banned by the government.
The local smugglers made contact with them through phone and whatsapp and asked them to transport the liquor to Bihar. The gang used to get cash ₹25000 per trip for supplying the liquor to local smugglers. An FIR has been registered against the accused under Excise Act at Kamrauli police station of Amethi district, DSP added.
