Gujarat Police seize liquor valued at Rs 59.23 lakh in Ahmedabad, five booked

Ahmedabad, Aug 1 (AHN) The Gujarat Police's State Monitoring Cell (SMC) has seized Indian-made foreign liquor (IMFL) and beer worth Rs 59.23 lakh during a prohibition raid in Ahmedabad, with the total value of the seized property, including other articles, estimated at Rs 79.26 lakh.

According to the State Monitoring Cell, the operation was carried out under directions issued by Director General of Police (DGP) G.S. Malik to intensify action against illegal liquor and gambling activities across Gujarat.

The raid was led by Police Inspector S.M. Jadeja, who searched a parking area adjacent to the entry toll plaza on the Ahmedabad-Vadodara Expressway No. 1 near the Sardar Patel Ring Road, within the jurisdiction of Ramol Police Station in Ahmedabad city.

During the operation, police recovered around 600 cartons of Indian Made Foreign Liquor and beer containing 12,843 bottles, valued at Rs 59,23,014.

Along with the liquor, other property was also seized, taking the total value of the confiscated articles to Rs 79,26,014. A prohibition case was registered at Ramol Police Station on July 31.

The case has been booked under Sections 65(A)(E), 81, 83, 98(2) and 116(B) of the Gujarat Prohibition Act. Police have named five wanted accused in the case.

They include Shivku Karpada, a resident of Refda village in Botad district, who is alleged to have ordered the liquor consignment, and Dhiru Karpada of Ramparda village in Surendranagar's Muli taluka.

Police said the remaining three accused include the person who dispatched and transported the consignment.

The latest seizure follows a series of major prohibition operations by the State Monitoring Cell in recent months.

In June, officials seized IMFL worth more than Rs 1.49 crore near Bibipura on the Vadodara-Ahmedabad Expressway in Ahmedabad Rural, with the total value of seized property estimated at Rs 1.74 crore.

In another operation in July, the SMC recovered IMFL and beer worth Rs 48.35 lakh from Gagodar village in Kutch's Rapar taluka. The overall value of the seized property in that case was Rs 78.57 lakh.