Cops seize big haul of smuggled liquor during raid, man arrested

Our Correspondent
Ludhiana, January 4

A police team of the anti-smuggling cell, led by Inspector Yash Pal Sharma, struck a big haul of smuggled liquor with the recovery of 64 boxes (containing 12 bottles each) of smuggled liquor in a raid conducted at Rajiv Gandhi Colony under the Focal Point police station here today.

A Tata Canter vehicle was impounded and a person, Nand Lal, a resident of Bela Tajowal, Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar, was nabbed with the contraband during the raid.

Commissioner of Police (CP) Rakesh Agrawal said it was under the drive to curb illegal distillation, sale and inter-state smuggling of liquor that the anti-smuggling cell had received a tip-off regarding the gang of liquor smugglers.

He said the police seized 22 boxes of 111 Ace Whisky, 28 boxes of 777 Oak Whisky and 14 boxes of Sikkim Special Whisky from the spot.

Two other suspects — Deepak Kumar, alias Tona, a resident of Rajiv Gandhi Colony, and Sandeep Kumar of Sudewal Kathgarh, SBS Nagar district had given the police a slip and escaped in a Hyundai Creta vehicle. All three accused have been booked under Sections 61, 78(2), 1 and 14 of the Excise Act and Sections 307, 353, 186 and 332 of the IPC in an FIR registered at the Focal Point police station.

The police had launched a massive manhunt for the absconding liquor smugglers, the CP added.

Meanwhile, Vikramjit Singh, a resident of Ramgarh, was held by a police naka party at Jandiali Chowk on Budhewal Road on Sunday on a tip-off that the accused was involved in the sale of smuggled liquor and was waiting for customers on 100 Feet road. During a raid conducted at the given place on the road, the police seized 51 bottles of country liquor and booked the accused under Sections 61/1/14 of the Excise Act.