Maharashtra: Excise dept seizes IMFL worth Rs 59.48 lakh in Navi Mumbai; 3 held

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Maharashtra excise department on Monday seized Indian-Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) worth Rs 59.48 lakh being transported to Mumbai in a truck and arrested three men hailing from Madhya Pradesh, an official said, according to the PTI.

Based on a tip-off, a flying squad of the excise department's Konkan division laid a trap and intercepted a truck near Turbhe railway station in Navi Mumbai, inspector Dighambar Shewale told the PTI.

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A large stock of 918 boxes containing IMFL of different brands, which are prohibited in Maharashtra, was seized. The stock was worth Rs 59.48 lakh, he said.

The officials arrested Tersingh Dhansingh Kanoje (32), who was driving the truck, Nasir Anwar Sheikh (45) and Guddu Devsingh Rawat (45), all hailing from Madhya Pradesh, the official said, adding that the seized liquor was manufactured in Goa.

Meanwhile, in an another incident, the Navi Mumbai Police on Friday conducted a major crackdown on drug peddlers, the Navi Mumbai police in Maharashtra conducted raids at six locations on Friday, the police said.

As many as seventy-five foreign nationals were apprehended by the police and are currently being questioned by police officials regarding their involvement in drug peddling and the authenticity of their nationality documents. More than 600 police officers and personnel participated in the search and seizure operation. Drugs worth Rs 2 crores have been seized, including cocaine and Tramadol Hydrochloride, the police said.

According to the police, on the instructions of Navi Mumbai Police Commissioner Milind Bharambe, the raids were conducted at six different locations in the city, including Vashi, Koparkhairane, Kharghar, and Ghansoli in Navi Mumbai. The police station officials and Crime Branch unit conducted joint raids with over 600 officers and constables.

The raids resulted in the apprehension of 75 foreign nationals at the various locations. During the search operation, the police have seized 700 grams of cocaine, more than 300 grams of MD, and 300 kgs of Tramadol Hydrochloride. The total value of the seized drugs is approximately Rs 2 crores, an official said.

A senior police official stated, "The apprehended foreign nationals are being questioned about their connections with drug peddling, and their nationality documents are also being verified. The search operation for further seizures is ongoing."

(with PTI inputs)