Mumbai: With the new year celebrations inching closer, liquor smuggling has surged as per the annual worrying trend. In the latest action, the state excise department has seized 580 bottles of imported alcohol and arrested three people, including a senior citizen, in connection with the cases. The accused were identified as Premji Munshi Gala, 67, Naresh Rameshwar Rawani, 54, and Jishan Zulfekar Qureshi, 31.
Flying squad unit 2 Inspector Prakash Gowda received information that smuggled foreign liquor was kept in hiding at warehouse number 46 on the Solapur Street in the Dana Bunder locality. The ensuing raid resulted in the seizure of 261 scotch bottles of different foreign brands, which were peddled from Delhi. The total value of impounded items, including a four-wheeler, stood at Rs 22.44 lakh.
In this case, the squad nabbed Rawani and Qureshi, who revealed that a container storing liquor was parked in the premises of Mumbai Port Trust. The officials found a total of 319 scotch bottles and a cargo truck worth Rs79.16 lakh. Further probe is underway to find out the smuggling racket's mastermind.
