Liquor disguised as mustard oil smuggled from Punjab sent across Gujarat by bootlegger from jail

A large-scale liquor smuggling operation running across Gujarat has been exposed after the State Monitoring Cell (SMC) seized illicit alcohol worth ₹2.97 crore from Mundra Port during a recent raid. The seizure has revealed a network that investigators say remained active even though alleged kingpin Anopsinh Abhesinh Rathod is currently in jail. Smuggling concealed as mustard oil shipments

According to officials, bootleggers allegedly moved liquor into the state by disguising it as consignments of mustard oil imported from Punjab. Investigators believe the racket has been active since August, using at least 16 railway containers routed through Mundra Port. They suspect the actual number of consignments may be higher. Preliminary findings indicate that the containers were booked in Punjab and transported to Gujarat via the railway network. Despite the repeated arrival of such shipments, customs officials at Mundra Port reportedly failed to detect the concealed liquor. Offloading and distribution across Gujarat

Once the containers reached Mundra, they were allegedly shifted to Maliya, where the liquor was offloaded, repackaged, and distributed across Kutch, Surat, and other parts of the state. The consignment intercepted during the recent raid was reportedly headed towards Pragpar. Drivers transporting the consignments were allegedly paid between ₹30,000 and ₹50,000 per trip, investigators say. Forged documents and out-of-state links

During the raid, the SMC also uncovered the use of forged documents. Officers have identified Sukhdev Singh of Balaji Trading Company in Ludhiana as the person who allegedly shipped the containers using fake paperwork. A formal complaint has been filed against him and others believed to be involved in ordering the illicit shipment. Sources within the agency say Rathod continued to direct operations from jail, working through his network. They also believe other Gujarat-based bootleggers were part of the wider system. Lapses in scrutiny under the scanner

The seizure triggered heightened activity at Mundra Port, with officials conducting detailed inspections and preparing panchnamas. The SMC is now probing how the consignments, falsely declared as mustard oil, passed through multiple layers of scrutiny without detection. Officials suspect liquor worth more than ₹25 crore may already have been successfully smuggled and distributed across the state before the racket was uncovered. Larger network likely, say investigators

Agency sources say the operation could lead to the unravelling of a larger Gujarat-wide bootlegging network with links to Punjab. They have declined to comment on record while the investigation continues.

The revelations have raised concerns about possible lapses by local police in Kutch, as the smuggling reportedly continued for months unnoticed. Enforcement agencies are now examining whether officials missed warning signs or if insiders may have aided the network.