Three caught smuggling alcohol in Surat café’s delivery van

Udhna police arrested two drivers and a helper near the godown of Ajay’s Café close to BRC, Surat, for transporting alcohol using the café’s delivery van. Police seized 100 beer cans and bottles of liquor during the operation.

According to the investigation, the accused were using the return trips of the delivery van—which usually delivered bakery items to Vapi—to bring back liquor hidden in empty crates. The alcohol was then sold to regular customers in Surat.

Based on a tip-off, police raided an open plot at Plot No P/46, 47, 48 in Lakshminarayan Industrial Park, BRC compound, and recovered the liquor stock. The seized items include 100 beer cans and liquor bottles worth ₹16,636, as well as:

A delivery van (Tempo, No. GJ-05-CU-1492) worth ₹1.7 lakh

A moped (No. GJ-05-MU-8521) worth ₹30,000

Three mobile phones

99 crates of various sizes and colours

In total, goods worth approximately ₹3.32 lakh were confiscated.

The individuals arrested are:

Kuldeep Jaman Chhaniyara (27) – Driver, resident of Krishnakunj Society, near Om Clinic, Madhuram Circle, Dindoli, Surat

Ashwinikumar Hiramn Yadav (20) – Helper, resident of 194, Shivam Nagar, Bamroli, Pandesara, Surat

Nitin Kisan Ambore (25) – Another driver who arrived on a moped to collect liquor, resident of 258, Nagsen Nagar, Gujarat Housing Board, Pandesara, Surat

Police say the accused have been delivering bakery items from the café’s godown to various locations in South Gujarat for the past two years using a closed-body delivery van. For the past six months, they had been bringing back liquor from Daman during return trips from Vapi, usually making two trips per month.

Further investigation is ongoing.