Sophisticated tactics to smuggle liquor in Gujarat: Three vehicles of same number, only one with liquor

In a shocking revelation, Rajasthan-based bootlegger Anil Pandit’s modus operandi has exposed how he outwitted the State Monitoring Cell (SMC) operating under the Gujarat DGP by masterminding a sophisticated liquor smuggling network.

Police sources disclosed that even after receiving intelligence about the vehicle numbers used for transporting illicit liquor, Pandit would simultaneously deploy three trucks or tankers with identical registration numbers through different entry points at the Gujarat border — making it nearly impossible to intercept the actual consignment.

This strategy confused enforcement agencies, enabling some vehicles carrying liquor to pass undetected while others served as decoys.

In one such case on July 20, a tanker carrying ₹1.77 crore worth of foreign liquor was seized near Karjan, exposing a nexus between Pandit and Ahir. Most of the liquor was concealed in petroleum tankers, requiring fire brigade assistance during inspections due to flammability risks.

The SMC has arrested DG Constable Sajan Ahir from Rajkot for allegedly accepting a ₹10 lakh bribe from a Rajasthan-based bootlegger. 

The bribe was reportedly to facilitate the passage of a liquor-laden truck through the Gujarat border. A formal complaint was lodged at Karjan police station after a phone call from Pandit, who claimed that despite the payment, the truck was seized.

Investigations have revealed Ahir’s active role in aiding Pandit, who is already booked under GUJCTOC. Police are now considering applying the same charges to Ahir. Five audio clips retrieved from Ahir’s phone reveal that tankers involved in the smuggling operation were considered raid-proof.

Of the ₹15 lakh bribe Pandit allegedly paid, ₹10 lakh sent to Junagadh was returned, while ₹5 lakh sent to Gandhinagar remains untraced.