LCB busts duplicate liquor racket

Chandrapur: In a major crackdown on illicit liquor transportation, the Local Crime Branch (LCB) of Chandrapur police intercepted a truck carrying 300 crates of duplicate country liquor under the jurisdiction of the Gondpipri police. The total value of the seized liquor and vehicle is estimated at Rs 30.6 lakh.
Acting on a tip-off, LCB teams were patrolling the area when they received intelligence about a truck smuggling illicit country liquor. The officers immediately set up surveillance, and after a high-speed chase on National Highway No. 353B, the truck was intercepted near Gondpipri while it was heading towards Ballarshah.
The driver, identified as Sagar Ashok Pardeshi (38), a resident of Wade, Bhadgaon taluka, Jalgaon district, was taken into custody. Upon searching the truck, the cops discovered liquor crates concealed beneath layers of thermocol boxes and paper cartons. The seized liquor, branded as Rocket Orange Country Liquor, was later examined by officials from the state excise department, Chandrapur, who confirmed that it was fake.
The operation was conducted jointly by LCB Chandrapur, the state excise department and Gondpipri police station. Authorities are now investigating the larger network behind this illicit operation, including potential suppliers and distributors.
Following the discovery, a case has been registered at Gondpipri police station under
sections 318(4), 336(2), 336(3), 340(2), and 49 of the BNS and sections 65(A), 65(E), 83, and 90 of the Maharashtra Prohibition Act.