Panchkula (Haryana), Jan 4 (IANS) Routine checking of vehicles Sunday by state transport officials near this Haryana town led to the seizure of over 14,000 bottles of liquor being illegally smuggled to other states.
Regional transport authority secretary Rajesh Jogpal said a truck with Rajasthan registration number (RJ-07-G-7698) was signaled to stop early Sunday on the Panchkula-Ramgarh road, 25 km from Chandigarh.
The driver of the truck showed documents that the vehicle was carrying rice bran extraction de-oiled from a rice mill in Khanna town near Ludhiana in Punjab.
However, the physical checking of the truck revealed that it was carrying huge quantities of liquor bottles of Bagpiper and McDowells brand. The liquor bottles had excise marking of 'Allowed for sale in Chandigarh union territory only'.
Liquor is often smuggled from Chandigarh to other states, especially to Gujarat where prohibition is enforced, as liquor is cheaper in the union territory compared to neighbouring states like Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh.
Jogpal said the invoice read the consignment was meant for Surat in Gujarat.
The driver and cleaner of the truck fled from the spot despite being chased by officials. The officials impounded the vehicle and the liquor bottles.
The Haryana police and excise officials were informed about the seizure and asked to register cases under relevant sections of law.
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