Thane: The Crime Branch Unit-1 of Thane Police has arrested four people and seized a large stock of foreign liquor illegally brought from Goa for sale in Maharashtra on Wednesday. The total value of the seized goods is estimated to be Rs 30 lakh.
Acting on a tip-off from a confidential source, police received information that some people were illegally bringing low-cost foreign liquor from Goa to Dombivli (East) and replacing the original labels with fake ones. These bottles were then being sold in different cities in Maharashtra.
Under the guidance of senior officers, the Crime Branch laid a trap on June 4 at 8:25 PM near Neruskar Road, Sudamwadi, Dombivli (East). They stopped and inspected a Mahindra Bolero and found foreign liquor inside. The vehicle driver could not provide any documents for the liquor and later led the police to a nearby old house in Pandurang Niwas, where more bottles were stored.
The police searched the house and found boxes of liquor of various well-known foreign brands. From 8:25 PM on June 4 to 10:00 AM on June 5, the team continued their operation and seized a total of 18,290 bottles (447 boxes) of whisky and beer of different brands. The total seized items are valued at around 30 lakhs, including liquor, fake label-making equipment, and the transport vehicle.
The Thane Police shared information about the case on their official X (formerly Twitter) handle on June 6. A case has been registered at Dombivli Police Station against the four accused arrested. The accused were arrested on June 4 at 8:30 PM, and the court has granted police custody till June 9. The case has been filed under Sections 318(4), 336(2), 336(3), 338, 340(2), and 3(5) of the Indian Penal Code 2023, and Sections 65(A) and 65(E) of the Maharashtra Prohibition Act.
