Liquor Smuggled in Engine Oil Drums: Police Seize 480 Litres of Foreign Liquor in Bhestan, Surat
Surat: In a surprising bust, Bhestan police uncovered an elaborate liquor smuggling operation in Gujarat, where alcohol mafias continue to devise innovative tactics to evade prohibition laws. This time, smugglers concealed foreign liquor inside engine oil and coolant containers, leading to the seizure of 480 litres of Indian-made foreign liquor valued at over ₹5.24 lakh.
Acting on a tip-off, police raided Shreeji Traders in the Saliyanagar Industrial area of Bhestan. The shop was suspected of illegally storing and selling liquor in bulk. At the time of the raid, shop owner Shailendrakumar Vedramsingh was present. Initially, nothing seemed unusual the shop was stacked with large cardboard boxes labeled EURO LINE COOL TECHNOLOGI and EUROMAX PREMIUM LONG LIFE COOLANT PRE-MAX, products typically used for vehicle engine oil or coolant.
Suspicion arose when officers examined one box and found 16 one-litre plastic cans inside, each labeled as oil. Upon opening a can, the liquid inside appeared similar to engine oil, but when poured into a plastic bottle for testing, it was revealed to be foreign liquor.
Further inspection led to the discovery of 30 boxes containing liquor of various brands, totaling 480 litres. The containers had been deliberately disguised to avoid detection during transit.
During interrogation, Shailendrakumar disclosed that the liquor consignment had been sent from Boisar, Tarapur, by a man named Anilsingh Vedramsingh. It was transported in a Mahindra Bolero pick-up truck (Reg. No. MH-48CB-4850) driven by Ramkumar Ramraj Upadhyay, who was later arrested.
In total, police seized ₹9.84 lakh worth of assets, including the liquor stock, the Bolero pick-up worth ₹4 lakh, a TVS Jupiter moped worth ₹50,000 (Reg. No. GJ-05-TE-4297), and two mobile phones.
Both Shailendrakumar and Ramkumar have been booked under relevant legal provisions, while the primary accused, Anilsingh Vedramsingh, has been declared wanted. Police are continuing efforts to locate and apprehend him.
