TWO HELD WITH 45 BOXES OF LIQUOR ALLEGEDLY SMUGGLED FROM CHANDIGARH IN LUXURY CAR

Naresh Kumar/Barnala

The Barnala police, in a joint operation with the Excise Department, have busted an alleged liquor smuggling racket with the arrest of two persons who were transporting liquor from Chandigarh in a luxury car, officials said on Friday.
The police seized 45 boxes of branded country-made liquor, allegedly brought from Chandigarh without any valid licence or permit, from a luxury cruise car during the operation.

The accused have been identified as Sukhchain Singh alias Sukhi, a resident of Handiaya Road in Barnala, and Gurpreet Singh, a resident of Behla, police said. The accused allegedly used to procure liquor at relatively cheaper prices from Chandigarh and transport it to Barnala, where it was sold at higher rates.

The operation was carried out on the basis of a tip-off received by the police. A City police station team was deployed near Valmiki Chowk when the information regarding the suspected movement of the liquor consignment was received.
An Excise team led by ETO Tejinder Garg and Excise Inspector Davinder Singh also joined the operation.

Acting on the information, the police and Excise officials laid a joint trap in the Anaj Mandi area of Barnala. When the suspected luxury car, bearing registration number PB-10DF-1125, reached the area, the teams intercepted and surrounded it.

During a search of the vehicle, 45 boxes of Chandigarh-brand country-made liquor were allegedly recovered. The occupants could not produce any licence or permit authorising transportation or possession of the liquor, officials said. An FIR (No. 0428) has been registered against the two accused under Section 61/1/14 of the Punjab Excise Act.
Luxury cars allegedly used to evade police

Preliminary investigation has revealed that the accused allegedly used luxury vehicles instead of ordinary cars to transport liquor in an attempt to avoid suspicion and evade police checks.
The liquor was allegedly being transported from Chandigarh to Barnala for sale in the city and adjoining villages, officials said. Police have now started probing the alleged network to identify other persons involved in the racket, including the source of the liquor and its intended buyers.