As personnel from the Mira Bhayandar-Vasai Virar (MBMC) police led by commissioner Sadanand Date have tightened the screws on the illicit liquor trade in the twin-city, the notorious bootleggers have taken the sea route to continue their nefarious activities.
This came to light after a team led by police sub-inspector-Kurewad and personnel -Kailash Pawar attached to the Uttan coastal police station arrested a 26-year-old man person identified as-Amol Mukinda Shirsat who was caught red handed while unloading illicit liquor into his auto-rickshaw from a fiber-made boat at the shorelines of Chowk jetty in Uttan near Bhayandar. While six gunny bags stuffed with plastic pouches containing 40 liters of illicit liquor were found to be unloaded into the auto-rickshaw, an equal number of gunny bags were recovered from the small fiber-made fishing boat.
While the value of the seized consignment is pegged at Rs 48,000, the impounded auto-rickshaw and boat are valued at Rs.45,000. It is suspected that the hooch was transported in a bigger diesel powered boat which originated from the coastline of some nearby village and then transferred into the small fiber-boat, thus pointing towards a bigger and well-oiled racket to hoodwink the police.
Meanwhile a case under the relevant sections of the Prohibition Act has been registered against the accused who lives on the hillocks in Dhavgi village near Uttan. Further investigations were underway.
