Liquor being smuggled to dry states via Rewari

Ravinder Saini

Tribune News Service

Rewari, June 20

A big consignment of illicit liquor is supplied to dry states of Gujarat and Bihar from Punjab and border areas of Haryana via Rewari. The mode of transport is gas and oil tankers. And drivers are changed after every 100 km.

All this has come to light during an investigation following the seizure of more than 55,000 bottles of illicit liquor in the past one month.

Drivers ply on the Delhi-Jaipur National Highway 8 that passes through Rewari. Bottles of liquor are brought to Rewari from Punjab and its border areas in Haryana, say the police sources.

“The liquor mafia uses a different modus operandi every time to dodge the police,” sources said, adding that the police had, on June 5, seized an LPG gas tanker that was stored with liquor. The consignment was meant for Gujarat.

The sources say the liqour mafia pays a handsome amount to drivers for taking the consignment to the next destination safely. They try to hire local drivers who are familiar with routes so that they can use alternative roads in case the police have set up nakas.

The liquor is transported to Bihar through Uttar Pradesh and to Gujarat via Rajasthan while passing through Rewari, the sources said, adding the police have arrested several drivers, but are yet to catch the big fish.

Rewari Superintendent of Police Rajesh Duggal said the police had succeeded in breaking backbone of the mafia by catching illicit liquor worth Rs2.5 crore in the past month.

“More than 15 vehicles, including a gas tanker and three trucks, have been seized. We are working on vital leads. Some more persons involved in the racket will be arrested soon,” he said.

Modus operandi 

• Bottles of liquor are brought to Rewari from Punjab and its border areas in Haryana
• The liquor mafia pays a handsome amount to drivers for taking the consignment to the next destination safely
• The mafia tries to hire local drivers familiar with routes so that they can use alternative roads in case there are nakas
• The liquor is transported to Bihar through Uttar Pradesh and to Gujarat via Rajasthan while passing through Rewari