Eicher truck abandoned on SP Ring Road with ₹1.5 crore liquor consignment

The Gujarat State Monitoring Cell (SMC) has unearthed a major case of liquor smuggling after an Eicher truck carrying Indian-made foreign liquor (IMFL) worth over ₹1.50 crore was found abandoned near Bakrol Toll Plaza on the SP Ring Road late on Monday night. The vehicle, allegedly transporting alcohol concealed beneath sacks of sheep and goat wool, was discovered with forged transport documents, fake GST numbers and a Fastag, suggesting a coordinated smuggling operation.

The SMC team was patrolling Ahmedabad city and rural limits on December 1 when they received a tip-off about a suspicious closed-body truck, registration of Rajasthan passing, lying unattended on the Sanathal road, about 500 metres from Bakrol Toll Plaza.

A panchanama was conducted on the spot in the presence of two independent witnesses arranged by the team. Officers noted that both rear doors of the truck were sealed with yellow plastic locks, After the seals were forcibly opened, the vehicle was found packed with 196 sacks of sheep and goat wool, piled over transparent plastic sheets under which cartons and loose bottles of liquor were concealed.

₹1.20 crore worth of branded liquor recovered

Upon unloading the sacks the investigators recovered thousands of 180 ml bottles of various IMFL brands, including  Premium Whisky labelled “For Sale in U.T. Chandigarh Only”. The total assessed value of the liquor was ₹1.20 Crore.

Five sample bottles were sealed for FSL examination, and another five marked as reserve samples, as per procedure.

Forged GST numbers, fake bills, toll receipts recovered from cabin

Inside the abandoned cabin, police recovered:

* Fake GST bills and transport invoices

* Fuel receipts

* Multiple toll plaza tickets from Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat

* A Fastag chip

* A lorry receipt purporting to transport “room heaters” from Gurugram to Vapi

* An Indian Oil fuel slip and Paytm payment record

Investigators noted that GSTIN numbers on the invoices were prima facie forged and the documents appeared “manufactured and used as genuine”.

The truck’s engine number was missing, suggesting tampering.

Driver absconding; smuggling route leads from Haryana to Gujarat

The truck owner, along with an unidentified loader, had allegedly concealed the liquor beneath wool sacks and handed forged bills to the driver to evade detection. The driver was reportedly instructed to deliver the consignment to an unknown recipient in Gujarat.

However, for reasons yet unclear, he abandoned the truck along with the liquor and fled.

Based on the findings, the SMC has registered offences under Sections of the Gujarat Prohibition Act and of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023

The seized liquor, wool sacks, forged documents, Fastag device, and the truck itself have been sealed and handed over to Sarkhej Police Station for further investigation. 

Officials said the investigation will focus on identifying the truck owner, Tracing the absconding driver and establishing the source and intended recipient of the liquor.