Maharashtra: Smuggled liquor worth Rs 20 lakh seized in Nagpur, two held

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Smuggled liquor worth Rs 20 lakh has been seized in Nagpur and two people were held by the officials in connection with the matter, an excise department official said on Wednesday, reported the PTI.

The liquor was allegedly smuggled from Madhya Pradesh into Maharashtra's Nagpur district, the official said.

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The contraband was hidden in a cavity created in the lower half of the truck's loading area while the upper portion was filled with fly ash, he said, as per the PTI.

The excise department had received a tip-off about rampant liquor smuggling from Madhya Pradesh into Maharashtra two months ago, the official added.

A truck was stopped in Automotive Square on suspicion on Tuesday and the officials began to check it. They were shocked to find more than 300 boxes of liquor stored in a five feet high cavity, as per the PTI.

The truck and liquor were seized and a case under the Maharashtra Prohibition Act has been registered against the truck owner, driver and his assistant or 'cleaner', the official said, the PTI reported.

While the driver and cleaner were arrested, the owner was on the run, he said, the news agency reported on Wednesday.

Anti-illegal sand mining operation leads to seizure of equipment in Thane

Meanwhile, in an another incident, the authorities in Thane district of Maharashtra on Wednesday seized and destroyed equipment used for illegal sand mining in the district, reported the PTI.

The estimated value of the equipment amounts to Rs 24 lakh.

According to the PTI, the crackdown was conducted by Bhiwandi sub-divisional office in the area spanning from Kalher to Kon, an official said.

Upon spotting the enforcement team, workers aboard a barge fled the scene. In an attempt to evade capture, the barge's hull was deliberately damaged, rendering it immobile and eventually submerged, he said, as per the news agency.

Efforts to remove the suction pump from Kalher port using a boat were underway, with plans to dismantle and disable it permanently using gas cutters to prevent any future use for illegal activities, the official added, as per the PTI.

(with PTI inputs)