Liquor worth ₹30 lakh smuggled in medicine bottle cartons seized in Ahmedabad

The Sola High Court Police in Ahmedabad busted a major smuggling operation of Indian-made foreign liquor (IMFL) and beer worth ₹30.9 lakh being transported under the guise of hospital medicine bottles. Two men from Punjab were arrested, and goods worth ₹50.9 lakh were seized during the operation.

According to police, acting on a tip-off, the Sola High Court Police Surveillance Squad intercepted an Ashok Leyland truck near the Gota Bridge on S G Highway late on Thursday night. On inspection, the truck was found carrying boxes labelled as hospital medicine bottles, which actually contained 5,520 bottles and tins of liquor of various brands.

The seized consignment included:
* 840 bottles of Whisky (750 ml) worth ₹10.62 lakh
* 3,216 bottles of Whisky (180 ml) worth ₹10.45 lakh
* 600 bottles of Whisky (750 ml) worth ₹7.80 lakh
* 624 tins of Beer (500 ml) worth ₹1.37 lakh
* 240 tins (500 ml) worth ₹36,000

In addition, the police seized the truck worth ₹20 lakh, two mobile phones, and 59,904 empty medicine bottles, which were allegedly used as a cover for the illegal cargo.

The arrested accused were identified as:
1. Yadwinder Singh Anup Singh Bhullar (36), driver, resident of Amritsar, Punjab
2. Tarlochan Singh Gajansinh Sandhu (40), driver, also resident of Amritsar, Punjab

A case has been registered at Sola High Court Police Station under sections of the Gujarat Prohibition Act.
Police officials said the accused were smuggling liquor from outside the state into Gujarat, a dry state, using hospital supply consignments to evade detection.

A senior police official said, “The modus operandi of concealing liquor inside hospital medicine packages indicates an organised network. Further investigation is underway to trace the supply route and others involved in the operation.”