State Excise Department teams seized illegal liquor worth Rs 32.25 lakh and two vehicles during a joint operation in Maharashtra’s Palghar district on September 4, according to a report by Loksatta. Three people were detained and booked in connection with the alleged smuggling of liquor from the neighbouring Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli.
The operation was conducted by the Dahanu and Palghar flying squads after officials set up a joint trap in the Dhundalwadi and Ambesari areas. The teams stopped and searched a car and a pickup vehicle that were reportedly moving suspiciously through the area.
Officials found 126 boxes of foreign liquor during the search. The liquor, valued at Rs 14,25,480, was reportedly permitted for sale in Dadra and Nagar Haveli but prohibited in Maharashtra. The two vehicles used for transportation were valued at approximately Rs 18 lakh.
The total value of the seized material and vehicles was put at Rs 32,25,480. The action forms part of enforcement against the movement of liquor from the neighbouring Union Territory into Maharashtra through Palghar district.
A case has been registered against the three detained individuals under the relevant law, according to the report. The State Excise Department said the operation was carried out under the guidance of senior officials, with personnel from the Dahanu and Palghar flying squads involved in the seizure.
The report did not identify the detained individuals or provide details of the specific legal sections invoked in the case. It also did not state whether the seized liquor was intended for retail distribution or identify its final destination within Maharashtra.
Further investigation is being conducted by officials from the police and the State Excise Department in Palghar and Dahanu. The authorities are examining the alleged transportation route and the circumstances surrounding the movement of the liquor across the Union Territory–Maharashtra border.
