Mansa Police seize liquor worth ₹10 lakh stocked in homes, cellars, one held

In a major crackdown on prohibition violations, the Mansa Police have seized Indian-made foreign liquor (IMFL) worth over ₹10.37 lakh following raids on residential premises in Mansa town, officials said on Tuesday.

According to the Mansa Police, acting on specific intelligence inputs about the storage and sale of prohibited liquor, police teams conducted raids at two houses near the veterinary hospital area in Mansa town. 

Police said surveillance staff received credible information that two residents, Jigneshbhai Jayanti bhai Rawal and Sureshbhai alias Jojo Kachrabhai Rawal, were jointly storing and selling Indian-made foreign liquor from their homes and makeshift cellars.

Following this input, police teams raided the premises and recovered a large consignment of liquor concealed in iron cupboards and basement storage areas. During the search, officers seized small and large bottles of various brands of Indian-made foreign liquor, along with beer tins. In total, 2,711 bottles and tins were recovered, valued at  ₹10.32 lakh. In addition, two mobile phones worth ₹5,000 were also seized, taking the total value of the seized material to  ₹10,37 lakh. A significant amount of cash was also recovered during the operation, police said.

During the raid, one of the accused, Jigneshbhai Jayantibhai Rawal (29), a resident of the veterinary hospital area in Mansa, was found present at the spot and taken into custody. The second accused, Sureshbhai alias Jojo Kachrabhai Rawal, a resident of the same locality, is currently absconding.

A case has been registered at the Mansa Police Station under Sections of the Gujarat Prohibition Act. Police said efforts are underway to trace and arrest the absconding accused, while further investigation is being carried out to identify the source of the liquor and possible links to a wider supply network.