Excise Crackdown: Smuggled Liquor Seized in Maharashtra

The excise department seized Indian Made Foreign Liquor worth Rs 44,000 smuggled into Maharashtra. Hidden inside a welding machine box, the liquor was meant for sale in Union Territories with different tax regulations. Two men have been arrested in connection with the case.

The Maharashtra excise department has made a significant seizure of Indian Made Foreign Liquor valued at Rs 44,000. This illegal consignment was being smuggled from the Union Territories of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, as reported by an official on Friday.

The scheme involved concealing the liquor inside a welding machine box, transported via a two-wheeler, according to excise inspector S S Phadtare. A timely tip-off led authorities to set up a trap near Nilgiri Hotel on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Highway, resulting in the confiscation on Thursday night.

The bottles carried labels specifying their sale only in the Union Territories, where taxation differs from Maharashtra. Consequently, two men from Rajasthan, identified as Pukh Raj and Rana Ram, have been apprehended in connection with this illegal operation.

(With inputs from agencies.)