AHMEDABAD: In dry Gujarat, one Indian-made foreign liquor (IMFL) bottle was seized every four seconds in 2024, as per police data.
Of 82,00,000 bottles worth Rs 144 crore seized across the state, 4,38,047 bottles were seized in Ahmedabad city, Ahmedabad rural, and Western Railways' Ahmedabad jurisdiction. Ahmedabad city alone reported 2,139 cases involving 3.06 lakh IMFL bottles, and 7,796 cases involving 1.58 lakh litres of countrymade liquor.
While experts attribute the figure to police crackdown, they say this could only be the tip of the iceberg. Leading the crackdown was Vadodara rural, where authorities seized Rs 9.8 crore worth of IMFL bottles hidden in secret compartments of trucks and godowns.
In Surat rural, an equally intense operation unearthed Rs 8.9 crore worth of IMFL disguised as household goods in an interstate transport racket. Navsari followed closely with the seizure of 6.23 lakh IMFL bottles, traced to high-tech manufacturing units operating in neighbouring states. Godhra saw the seizure of Rs 8.8 crore of IMFL bottles.
Bhavnagar recorded the seizure of Rs 8.7 crore worth of IMFL and countrymade liquor concealed in water tanks and under loads of fresh vegetables. "For the smugglers, the raids served as a stark reminder that no matter how innovative their tactics may be, they will not be allowed to violate the law. The message is clear: There's no room for the spirit of lawlessness in the land of Gandhi," said a senior official.
However, a retired DGP said that it is not humanly possible to stop the flow of liquor and smuggling from neighbouring states.
"Cops also need to crack down on local breweries. A lack of vigilance can lead to another hooch tragedy," said the retired official.
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