The Local Crime Branch (LCB) of Vadodara rural police achieved a major breakthrough by seizing Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) valued at Rs 96.59 lakh, allegedly being smuggled into Gujarat from Goa. The operation took place near Gokalpura village in Vadodara taluka.
Operation Details
Acting on a specific tip-off, the LCB team learned that a large consignment of liquor was being transported in a truck along the new expressway. Officials promptly laid a watch on the highway and intercepted the vehicle near Gokalpura village. During a thorough inspection, police discovered 1,290 boxes containing 61,920 quarter bottles of liquor cleverly concealed within the truck.
Arrest and Interrogation
The driver, identified as Lakhan Bishnoi, a resident of Sangariya village in Luni taluka of Jodhpur district, Rajasthan, was arrested on the spot. During questioning, Bishnoi revealed that he had been summoned to Goa by an acquaintance named Rajuram Bishnoi, also from Finch village in Luni taluka. Rajuram allegedly connected him with a man named Dharma, who handed over the truck loaded with liquor near the Madkai Industrial Area in Goa.
Value of Seizure
Police confirmed that the total seizure, including the truck and the liquor consignment, is valued at approximately Rs 1.06 crore. The operation underscores the effectiveness of intelligence-led policing in curbing illegal liquor smuggling into Gujarat, where prohibition laws are stringent.
Further investigation is underway to trace the network behind the smuggling operation and to apprehend other individuals involved. The arrested driver has been booked under relevant sections of the Gujarat Prohibition Act.
