Illegal liquor worth `1.10 crore seized on Mumbai-Goa highway

Excise officials with the seized liquor at Palaspe Phata on Friday.

A container full of liquor which was illegally being transported from Goa to Mumbai, has been seized by the excise department of Raigad district on Friday. The cost of the liquor would be around Rs1.10 crore, officials said.

Acting on a tip-off, the officials laid trap at Palaspephata, near Panvel on Mumbai-Goa highway, around 2 am and seized the container loaded with liquor bottles.

As soon as they signalled the driver to stop on the highway, he jumped out and ran away, leaving behind the vehicle.

The 35-year-old cleaner, who is from Kerala, was arrested.

“The container had 1,900 boxes of liquor. Each box had 12 bottles of 750 ml and 48 bottles of 180 ml liquor. They were being transported to Mumbai,” said Nilesh Sangede, superintendent of excise department, Raigad district.

It is not clear who sent the liquor from Goa and who was to receive it in Mumbai. “We are investigating the matter to find out the real culprits. We had got a tip-off about the consignment around a month ago and were on alert,” he added.

Sangede said the trailer had a fake registration number. “We checked with the RTO officials on Friday and they informed us that no such number was issued to any trailer,” he said.

“Even its documents about the goods said that there were raw materials of toothpaste and that those were being transported to Rajasthan from Goa. So it appears to be a crime executed after minute planning. But it will be too early to suspect anyone at this moment,” he said.

“We will wait for the court’s order on what to do with the seized liquor. If the court allows we will dispose it,” said another official.

PRAFUL GANGURDE