Action by the State Excise Department’s Flying Squad Leads to Seizure of Goods Worth Over 31 Lakhs
Pune | In an operation conducted by the Pune division of the State Excise Department’s Flying Squad, goods worth ₹31,23,200 were seized in the districts of Ahmednagar and Osmanabad. The information was provided by Sagar Dhomkar, the Regional Deputy Commissioner of the Pune Division.
The Flying Squad conducted a raid in the limits of Arangav village in Jamkhed taluka, Ahmednagar district, near the HP Petrol Pump on the Shrigonda-Jamkhed road. The raid was carried out while Goa-made liquor was being transferred from a Mahindra Scorpio to a Maruti Suzuki Swift Dzire vehicle. A total of 324 sealed bottles (750 ml each) of Adireal Whiskey, packed in 27 boxes, along with two vehicles, were seized. The estimated value of the seized goods is ₹16,72,720, and a case has been filed against the individuals involved.
Further investigation led to another seizure near Bhairavnath Temple in the Lonarwadi area of Paranda taluka, Osmanabad district. Here, a total of 216 sealed bottles (750 ml each) of Adireal Whiskey, packed in 18 boxes, were seized from two vehicles: an Ashok Leyland Dost and a Maruti Suzuki Swift Dzire. The estimated value of the seized goods is ₹14,50,480, and a case has been filed against two individuals.
In connection with this case, a crime has been registered under the Maharashtra Prohibition Act, 1949, against the following individuals: Deepak Atmaram Khedkar, Bharat Shahaji Ralebhat, Manoj Dattatray Raipalli, Dattatray Gangadhar Sonwane from Ahmednagar district, and Shastragun alias Shatrun Navanath Kirdak and Kailas Anna Jogdand from Osmanabad district. Further action is ongoing.
The operation was carried out under the guidance of Inspector Narendra Thorat, with assistance from Assistant Inspectors Viraj Mane, Dheeraj Saste, Pratap Kadam, Satish Pondhe, Shashikant Bhat, Ranjeet Chavan, Anil Thorat, Amol Dalvi, and Rahul Taralkar. The State Excise Department has stated that such operations against illegal liquor trade will continue, and citizens are encouraged to report any illegal liquor activities by contacting the State Excise Office at phone number 020-29911986.
