Over 14,000 liquor bottles seized in an SMC raid near Navsari, one held

In a major crackdown on illicit liquor transportation, the State Monitoring Cell (SMC) carried out a running raid in Navsari district on Saturday early morning, seizing over 14,000 bottles of Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) valued at more than ₹37 lakh, police said.

The raid was conducted on January 17 on the Mumbai–Surat National Highway near the Sangam Solar Plant at the Una village bridge area, within the limits of the Navsari Rural Police Station. Acting on specific inputs, the SMC Prohibition team intercepted a vehicle allegedly being used to transport illegal liquor. 

According to officials, a total of 14,016 IMFL bottles worth ₹37 lakh were recovered from the vehicle. The team also seized the vehicle used for transportation, valued at approximately ₹25 lakh, along with a mobile phone worth ₹5,000, cash amounting to ₹2,000 and forged bill and e-bill documents. The total value of the seized muddamal has been pegged at ₹62.69 lakh.

One accused, identified as Akhileshsingh alias Dipaksingh Rameshsingh, a resident of Pandesara, Surat, was apprehended during the operation and later handed over to Navsari Rural Police Station for further legal action. Another accused, Vinod Pandit, a resident of Palsana in Surat district, is currently absconding and has been declared wanted in the case.

An offence has been registered under Sections of the Prohibition Act, along with Sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023. Police said further investigation is underway to ascertain the source of the liquor consignment and to identify other members of the network involved in the illegal trade.