Goa-manufactured liquor worth ₹82L seized by Excise dept

On being raided, the driver said that the cargo consisted of pharmacy and furnished documents like a pharmacy bill, tax invoice etc

Ahead of the new celebrations, the State Excise Department’s Divisional Flying Squad in Pune intercepted and seized illegal liquor estimated to be worth ₹82 lakh being trafficked from Goa to Maharashtra.

However, upon further inspection, the team found 950 boxes containing 45,600 sealed bottles of 180 ml of Royal Blue Malt Visco whiskey, manufactured by Pigott Chapman and Company in Bardez, Goa. (REPRESENTATIVE PIC)

The excise team under directions from Divisional Deputy Commissioner Vijay Chinchalkar, conducted a raid on the night of December 18. A tempo, which was expected to transport Goa-manufactured foreign liquor into Maharashtra via the Bangalore-Mumbai National Highway was apprehended near the Khed Shivapur toll plaza on Tuesday.

On being raided, the driver said that the cargo consisted of pharmacy and furnished documents like a pharmacy bill, tax invoice etc. However, upon further inspection, the team found 950 boxes containing 45,600 sealed bottles of 180 ml of Royal Blue Malt Visco whiskey, manufactured by Pigott Chapman and Company in Bardez, Goa. The driver, identified as Vipul Devilal Nat from Banswara, Rajasthan, was found to be transporting the liquor without the necessary transport pass or license and wanted to sell the foreign liquor in Maharashtra. He was promptly arrested under the Maharashtra Liquor Prohibition Act 1949. The confiscated liquor, valued at ₹82 lakh, and the tempo, valued at ₹11.50 lakh were seized on the spot.

The accused was produced before a judicial magistrate court which remanded him to two days custody.

The raiding team consisted of the State Excise Department’s Divisional Flying Squad, led by Inspector Nand Kumar Jadhav and Sub Inspector AC Phadtare.