Ahead of New Year celebrations, liquor worth ₹1.7 cr seized in Pune, seven arrested
Those carrying the liquor did not have any documents and permit for its trafficking and possession. The excise department has seized the liquor and some vehicles besides arresting seven persons
The state excise department has seized liquor worth Rs1.70 crore and arrested seven persons ahead of New Year celebrations. The Indian-made foreign liquor, according to officials, was being transported illegally from Goa to Maharashtra and Gujarat.
The officials noticed that liquor bottles in more than 2,000 boxes were being transported on the Bangaluru-Mumbai highway near Navale bridge when they questioned the suspects and made the recovery.
“Those carrying the liquor did not have any documents and permit for its trafficking and possession. The excise department has seized the liquor and some vehicles besides arresting seven persons,” a release issued by state excise department stated.
Police officials have also decided to take strict measures against the illegal sale and trafficking of banned substances in Pune during New Year’s celebrations amid large crowds from outside expected in the city this time. Naka Bandi, surprise inspections, and regular investigations at hotspots will be conducted to prevent any such activity.
As part of operations, two cases of Mephedrone(MD) worth Rs2 lakh and 10 lakh each at Kondhwa and Bund Garden, respectively were recovered by the anti-narcotics department.
Pune police have been conducting several undercover investigations and inspections this past week for any drug distribution before January 1, officials said.
The peddlers were caught at Bund Garden and inside a society at Kondhwa, selling the drug. The police officials went undercover to recover the drugs and money held by the peddlers, discovering seven grams and 53 grams of MD having a market value of ₹20,000 per gram. With this discovery, police officers will be keeping a stricter notice on any such activity in the city, said officials.
“Local police stations will be instructed to keep a keen eye on such malicious activities. This weekend will pose a demand for drugs in Pune, so we will be searching hotels, and installing road blockers to conduct vehicle inspections. Crowd control will be in place as per orders, with drugs and alcohol being a common problem during this period,” said Vinayak Gaikwad, senior police Inspector
“Due to a lack of restrictions post-Covid, we are expecting a larger number of offenders, with everyone blending into the crowd. Excessive parties and large crowds will be hotspots of such rackets; hence, this is the peak time for such activity,” said Gaikwad.
Areas surrounding bars and restaurants will be inspected thoroughly, with Koregaon Park, Kalyani Nagar, MG Road, and FC road, housing these crowds also monitored closely, said officials of the squad.