Two held with IMFL worth ₹2 lakh in Juhapura

The Ahmedabad Crime Branch, late on Monday night, detained two men from an open plot near the Vishala Ice Factory in Juhapura for allegedly possessing 1,644 bottles of Indian-made foreign liquor (IMFL) worth ₹2.16 lakh without a pass permit. Police said the pair were intercepted while attempting to load the liquor onto a goods rickshaw.

The incident unfolded during routine night patrol on November 17, when officers received specific intelligence around 11.40 pm that several individuals were attempting to transfer a large consignment of IMFL into a rickshaw at an open ground near the ice factory.

A team moved to the spot shortly after midnight. As the staff approached the location, one of the suspects fled into the darkness. The remaining two were apprehended.

The detained men were identified as Akhil Ismail Sheikh (48) and Aftab Husnuddin Sheikh (24), both casual workers. A mobile phone worth ₹2,000 was found on Akhil, while Aftab was carrying a handset valued at ₹3,000.

Police said another mobile phone was also recovered from under the driver’s seat of the goods rickshaw. The detained men allegedly stated that the phone belonged to the absconding suspect, identified as Sajjad, a resident of Narol.

Upon checking the vehicle, officers found multiple cardboard boxes stacked inside the closed-body compartment. Additional boxes were lying on the ground nearby. Owing to darkness and safety concerns, the entire consignment was transported to the Crime Branch office.

At the office, police opened the sealed boxes in the presence of panch witnesses and catalogued the liquor. The seized stock included:

204 bottles of 750 ml whisky, 1,440 bottles of 180 ml whisky

All bottles were sealed and labelled for sale in Punjab or Chandigarh only. The total value of 1,644 bottles was estimated to be ₹2,16 lakh.

Officers also seized the rickshaw valued at ₹2 lakh, along with the three recovered mobile phones and ₹500 in cash.

During questioning, the two detained men allegedly disclosed that the liquor had been arranged by Sajjad, while another accomplice, Zubair aka Kalu Akbarali, currently residing in Juhapura and originally from Paldi, had helped deliver it. Police said the consignment was intended for Nasimbanu aka Aapa Qureshi, a resident of Zed Row House near the ice factory.

All three named individuals are currently absconding.

A case has been registered under sections of the Gujarat Prohibition Act. Police said further investigation is underway to trace the suppliers, identify the source of the liquor, and verify whether the seized rickshaw had been regularly used for illicit distribution.

Crime Branch officials said efforts are on to arrest the absconding trio and uncover any wider network involved in the illegal liquor trade.