Ahmedabad Police seize ₹54 lakh liquor haul from parked truck

In a crackdown on liquor smuggling, the Ahmedabad Zone-7 Local Crime Branch (LCB) on Monday seized Indian-made foreign liquor (IMFL) worth ₹53.95 lakh from a container truck parked for two days near Sanathal Toll Tax Plaza, within Ahmedabad Rural Police jurisdiction.

The operation, conducted in what officials described as a ‘grey zone’ between the city and rural police limits, has once again brought policing lapses and jurisdictional ambiguities into sharp focus.

Liquor stock from Daman

Acting on a tip-off, Zone-7 LCB officers located the container at a parking plot along the SP Ring Road. Upon inspection, they found 25,465 bottles of liquor in 750 ml and 180 ml sizes, all sourced from Daman. Officials said the truck appeared to have been used solely for smuggling.

Zone-7 LCB Police Inspector Y P Jadeja said the vehicle had been at the spot for the past two days. “The truck was traced to Mehsana, but the driver had fled. A manhunt is underway to trace him,” Jadeja said.

Jurisdiction dispute reignites

The location, once part of the Sarkhej police station limits, was recently brought under the Changodhar police station following a reorganisation of jurisdictions. The fact that the vehicle remained unattended for two days in the area has raised questions over local policing efficiency.

Police said offences have been registered under relevant sections of the Gujarat Prohibition Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.