In a significant crackdown on the illegal liquor trade, authorities in Ahmedabad seized a massive consignment of Indian-made foreign liquor (IMFL) and animal hair from an unattended truck on Monday. The haul, valued at over ₹1.2 crore, represents one of the major seizures in the region under the stringent prohibition laws.
Major Haul on SP Ring Road
Acting on a specific tip-off, a team from the State Monitoring Cell (SMC) swooped down on the SP Ring Road near Bakrol area. The information suggested a truck loaded with prohibited items was parked near an open plot close to a railway approach. Upon reaching the spot around 10:30 AM, officers found a Rajasthan-registered truck locked and unattended.
The team broke open the seal for inspection and uncovered a carefully concealed cargo. Inside, they discovered a staggering 53,369 bottles of country-made and Indian-made foreign liquor, neatly packed in corrugated boxes. In an attempt to hide the illicit consignment, the boxes were stacked behind 196 bags of sheep and goat hair.
Investigation Launched to Unravel the Network
An FIR was promptly registered at the Sarkhej police station by SMC ASI Kailashkumar Yadav. The document notes that no individual approached or claimed ownership of the vehicle during the entire search operation. Officials prepared a detailed panchnama and seized the truck, the liquor stock, and the bags of animal hair, moving everything to the police station for further analysis.
Preliminary investigations point to an inter-state smuggling operation. Police suspect the consignment was transported from a neighboring state for delivery to a local distribution network in Gujarat. A multi-pronged probe is now underway to dismantle this network.
Tracking the Consignment and Culprits
Investigators are following several crucial leads to identify everyone involved in the smuggling attempt. Key steps in the probe include:
- Verifying the truck's registration and ownership details with the Rajasthan Regional Transport Office (RTO).
- Analyzing call detail records (CDR) from phone numbers found on the markings of the seized boxes.
- Scouring CCTV footage from entry points on the SP Ring Road and nearby industrial estates to trace the vehicle's movement before it was abandoned.
- Making concerted efforts to identify the driver, the transporter, and the intended consignee.
The case has been officially registered under the provisions of the Gujarat Prohibition Act. Police have confirmed that further legal action will be taken once the origin of the consignment and the identities of all persons involved in its transport and planned distribution are firmly established.
