Nagpur crime branch busts statewide fake liquor racket, one held
Police seized fake liquor and goods worth Rs 28.70 lakh being smuggled from Dhule to Nagpur, Wardha and Gadchiroli, arresting one and hunting another.
Nagpur: The crime branch has busted a racket smuggling fake liquor, arresting one member. The racket, spread across several districts including Nagpur and Wardha, has yielded fake liquor and other goods worth Rs 28.70 lakh. The arrested accused is Abdul Tausif Abdul Hafeez (34) of Azad Nagar, Gittikhadan. His associate Ankush alias Anna Sudhakar Kunchanwar (38) of Yashwant Nagar, Hinganghat, is absconding.
The crime branch's anti-vehicle theft squad learnt that a large quantity of illegal liquor was being transported in a vehicle on Amravati Road. Based on this, the police team planned to intercept the vehicle near the eighth mile on Amravati Road. Police spotted truck number MH-40-CD-1591 coming from Amravati. When the police team searched the truck, it was found loaded with scrap. The driver, Abdul Tausif, said he was carrying scrap. Police removed the scrap and inspected the truck, discovering a compartment underneath it. When the compartment was opened, crates of liquor were found inside. The police team was stunned to find 39 boxes of liquor hidden in the compartment. Police took truck driver Tausif into custody. He said the truck had been sent to Dhule by Anna of Hinganghat. According to Tausif, unidentified accused in Dhule had taken the truck, loaded the liquor and handed it back to him. Tausif was to drop the liquor at Aalapalli in Gadchiroli.
The design of the liquor bottles made police suspect they were fake. Police called in the excise department for verification, which confirmed the liquor was indeed fake. This revelation has made the case more serious. The design of the truck and the accused's methods suggest the racket had been smuggling fake liquor into Gadchiroli and Wardha for a long time. Anna is a resident of Hinganghat. Liquor is also banned in Wardha, yet he was smuggling fake liquor using a specially modified truck. The fake liquor travelled from Dhule to Nagpur, Wardha and Gadchiroli, a route that passes through several police stations, including highway police posts. It is surprising that none of them got wind of the racket. Anna, Saddam of Tajabad and several others are suspected to be involved in the racket. Police are tracking down those linked to it. The action was carried out by PI Dilip Chandan, Havildar Roshan Tiwari, Vilas Kokate, Sachin Badhiye, Ajay Shukla, Nitin Verma, Rahul Kusrame and Abhay Dhone.
Playing with citizens' lives
Hazardous chemicals are used to make fake liquor, which amounts to playing with citizens' lives. Fake liquor has claimed lives on several occasions in the past. Despite this, its brazen smuggling continues, which is extremely serious.
