Truck carrying 190 boxes of illegal liquor impounded in Patiala, driver arrested

Aman Sood

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Patiala, December 13

The excise officials impounded a truck carrying 190 cases of Indian-made foreign liquor.

The Excise Department has set up a special unit of informants to keep tabs on the inter-state flow of illegal liquor.

The seized liquor that was meant to be sold in Chandigarh, was being smuggled to Haryana through Punjab.

According to sources, the network of informants of the local excise units has helped the department keep smuggling of liquor “into and from Punjab” in check.

Surinder Garg, Assistant Excise and Taxation Commissioner, Patiala, said the department had received information that someone was smuggling liquor to Patiala and Haryana. He said, “A team led by Excise Officer Piyush Singla intercepted a truck near the Samana road and recovered liquor from it.”

Singla said on examining the truck, the officials were surprised to find it empty. “However, on suspicion, we decided to carry out a thorough search. We then found a secret chamber with 190 boxes of ‘Blue Stroke’ whiskey.”

Truck driver Tarsem Singh has been arrested and a case has been registered at the Passiana police station.

Singla further said, “We will ask the police to ascertain if the driver has been smuggling liquor in routine and also try to identify the persons who ordered the assignment.”

“We will ensure action against anyone found indulged in smuggling of liquor. We have formed special teams and our network of informants is also active,” Garg told The Tribune.

A case under the relevant sections of the Excise Act has been registered against the driver and unidentified persons. “We will soon try to probe the nexus in detail and identify the people who supplied the liquor and the ones who ordered the assignment,” Garg said.

Recent seizures

• In the last week of October, the police seized around 600 cartons of illicit liquor from a Gujarat-bound truck. A case was registered against four persons.
• Last month, the Rajasthan police seized 625 cartons of English liquor worth Rs 45 lakh by intercepting a tanker. The liquor was to be supplied from Moga to Surat in Gujarat.
• Two weeks ago, the Fatehgarh Sahib police impounded a truck carrying 250 cartons of smuggled liquor. The police arrested the truck driver.