505 cartons of illicit liquor being smuggled to Gujarat seized

NEW DELHI: As many as 505 cartons of illicit liquor were seized from two men who were allegedly trying to transport it to Gujarat via Delhi and Maharashtra.

NEW DELHI: As many as 505 cartons of illicit liquor were seized from two men who were allegedly trying to transport it to Gujarat via Delhi and Maharashtra.

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Kaptan Singh (28) and Bhagwan Singh (46) hid the cartons in compartments in a steel box which was concealed within a wooden box.

“We got information that a huge haul of illicit liquor was being transported from Ludhiana to Maharashtra via Delhi in a truck. We laid a trap near Pragati Power Station and the police team flagged down a truck,” said joint commissioner of police (crime) Ravindra Yadav.

Yadav said driver Kaptan Singh told them that he was transporting “chemical drums in a wooden box” to be delivered in Shirdi, Maharashtra. He even had paperwork to support the claims.

“The truck was checked and one wooden box was broken open. The box had another steel box inside. When the steel box was opened, over 500 cartons of illicit liquor, including premium brands were found,” said Yadav.

On questioning, they men said they worked for a Ludhiana-based liquor supplier Sunny. He only supplied alcohol to Gujarat via Delhi and Maharashtra. “After liquor was banned in Gujarat, the profit margin these men get to supply liquor there is much higher than money made through usual alcohol sale. Sunny used to supply illicit liquor from Punjab to Gujarat via Delhi and Maharashtra. He had modified the truck for the purpose,” said Yadav.

After crossing the Delhi border, Singh used to unload the goods at a godown in Maharashtra’s Akkalkuwa near Gujarat border and smuggled into the dry state. Sunny used to paid the two men Rs 15,000 each per trip, Yadav said.