Thane: The state excise department seized a huge cache of liquor being illegally brought into Thane district, allegedly for sale and consumption ahead of the upcoming Christmas and New Year celebrations. The collective worth of the seized contraband, ferried under the guise of paint boxes, is around Rs 55 lakh, officials informed.
Officials stated that a truck carrying around 710 boxes containing Indian-made foreign liquor intended for sale in Himachal Pradesh, along with foreign liquor and beer manufactured in Goa, was intercepted by the flying squad of the Thane excise department late Friday near Shilphata in Mumbra. The seizure is considered a major crackdown on the transportation of illegal liquor within the metropolitan region ahead of the festive season. Officials said they will investigate to track the sender and the local consignee to know if a racket was operative in the region.
“We were tipped off about this consignment so we kept vigil at the spot and as per our information, our teams spotted a truck bearing a Karnataka state registration number, following which we intercepted it. The driver showed us papers which said the truck was carrying paint boxes, but on checking, we found it to be loaded with liquor bottles,” informed Praveen Tambe, Superintendent, State Excise Thane.
The driver was arrested under relevant sections of the Bombay Prohibition Act and presented before the court, which sent him to three-day custody. Officials said they would investigate the consignor and the recipient of the illegal stock and take further action.