The local police seized 454 cartons of illegal liquor and beer worth around Rs 31 lakh from a canter truck and arrested two men in connection with the haul. The consignment had been concealed beneath animal feed in an apparent attempt to evade detection.
Preliminary investigations revealed most of the cartons did not carry QR codes, while labels on several others had been torn off, strengthening suspicions that the consignment was intended for illegal distribution.
“Acting on a tip-off, the CIA team set up a checkpoint near a private school at MP Majra turn on the Beri-Jahajgarh road after receiving information that a red Tata 1916 canter carrying a large consignment of illegal liquor would pass through the route,” ACP Crime Shamsher Singh Dahiya said.
When the vehicle was intercepted, its registration number plate was found to have been smeared with grease to conceal the actual registration number and avoid identification by police and CCTV cameras, he added.
The driver, identified as Manish Dahiya of Shadipur village in Rewari, and the helper, Bittu of Narangi Banda in Assam, initially claimed they were transporting cattle feed. However, after the tarpaulin was removed, police recovered a large quantity of illegal liquor and beer concealed beneath the load, Dahiya said.
Officials from the Excise Department were called to the spot, and a joint inspection led to the seizure of 454 cartons containing various brands, including Royal Mansion Gold Whisky, Imperial Blue, Royal Stag and Kingfisher beer. The accused failed to produce any valid licence, permit or transport documents for the consignment.
The entire consignment, along with the canter, was seized after samples were taken and the required documentation completed in the presence of Excise Department officials, the ACP said.
A case has been registered against both accused at the Beri police station under the relevant provisions of the Haryana Excise Act. They were produced before a court, which remanded them to two days in police custody.
During the remand, investigators will question the accused to establish the source and intended destination of the consignment and identify other members of the suspected smuggling network.
“The Jhajjar Police is following a zero-tolerance policy against narcotics and illicit liquor smuggling and will take stringent legal action against everyone involved in the network,” Dahiya said.