MEERUT: In a joint operation with the excise department, the Muzaffarnagar police seized 530 crates of Indian-made foreign liquor (IMFL) worth Rs 17 lakh that were being transported illegally and recovered one motorbike, one car and a truck on Sunday.
One person has been arrested while four others managed to escape. Police have also recovered 140 forged holograms from the accused. A case under section 60/72 of the Excise Act and sections 255, 259, 260, 467, 468 and 471 of IPC has been filed. Karunendra Singh, district excise officer (DEO) of Muzaffarnagar, said, “Acting on a tip off, teams of excise department, headed by inspectors Avdhesh Mishra and Ravindra Kishor, along with the local police, signalled a truck near Sahojani Tagan and Kutba-Kutbi. The driver did not stop and tried to speed away.
The police followed the truck and managed to stop it after chasing it for some kilometres. One Parvinder of Mansoorpur was arrested while his accomplices, Nitin, Praveen, Amit and Baroo, managed to escape.
” In another incident in Shamli district, police seized 200 crates of IMFL worth Rs 10 lakh and arrested two persons, during checking. Station officer of Jinjhana police station, R N Singh Yadav, said, “We have seized 200 crates of Haryana-made liquor worth over Rs 10 lakh from the truck. The liquor was being taken to Budhana town to be distributed during the forthcoming panchayat elections. Two accused, identified as Navin of Sonepat and Jogendra of Rohtak, have been arrested.” Smuggling of illicit liquor from Haryana has increased ahead of the panchayat elections in Uttar Pradesh. Police and the excise department are on a high alert to check smuggling of liquor from other states.
