The Konkan Divisional flying squad of the State Excise Department scored a significant victory by apprehending three individuals engaged in smuggling fake foreign liquor from the Turbhe area of Navi Mumbai. Dr. Nilesh Sangade, the Thane Excise Department Superintendent, reported that a staggering Rs 60 lakh worth of counterfeit foreign liquor had been seized from the suspects.
This successful operation follows the directive issued by Commissioner Vijay Suryavanshi of the State Excise Department, aimed at cracking down on illegal, counterfeit, and imported liquor trade. Acting on this directive and under the guidance of Konkan Divisional Deputy Commissioner of Excise Prasad Surve, Dr. Nilesh Sangade, along with the Thane flying squad, intensified surveillance along the Belapur route.
Describing the operation, Sangade explained, “On Monday, September 4, around 1:30 am, our team spotted a suspicious truck near Turbhe railway station. Inspector Digambar Shewale and sub-inspectors Vijay Dhumal and Sandeep Jarande swiftly pursued and intercepted the truck. Upon inspection, we discovered 918 boxes of foreign liquor, originally manufactured in Goa and intended for sale solely within Goa, thus prohibited from sale in Maharashtra. The haul included whisky, beer, and various other types of liquor.”
The three individuals involved in this illicit trade were promptly arrested. The truck driver, Ter Singh Kanoje (32), hailing from Sendhwa in Madhya Pradesh, along with his accomplice Nasir Shaikh (45), also from Sendhwa, and Guddu Rawat, a resident of Indore in Madhya Pradesh, are now in custody.