Fake liquor consignment seized in Palamu, one arrested

Ranchi: In a major crackdown, Palamu Police seized a large consignment of fake liquor and arrested one person after intercepting a white truck (registration number UP50DT 8407) near the Mangardaha Indian Oil petrol pump under Chainpur police station. The action was initiated following a confidential tip received by the Superintendent of Police, Palamu, regarding a truck transporting counterfeit liquor from Garhwa towards Daltonganj.

Acting swiftly, a special team was formed under the leadership of the Sub-Inspector, Sadar Subdivision, along with officers and armed forces from Chainpur police station. At around 7:35 PM, the team reached the location and took control of the truck. Upon interrogation, the driver disclosed that the consignment comprised liquor manufactured in Goa, being transported through Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, and Jharkhand with Bhutan as the final destination.

The Excise Department, Palamu, was immediately informed. A joint inspection of the vehicle, the consignment, and the accompanying documents revealed that the liquor appeared to be counterfeit. A total of 14,400 bottles (750 ml each) of suspected fake English liquor labelled JV’s Choice Malt Whisky, packed in 1,200 cartons, were recovered. The packaging, labelling, and documents presented were found to be dubious in nature. The police also seized the Ashok Leyland truck, a maroon-coloured VIVO Android phone, counterfeit documents, and a black-red file containing photocopies of truck-related papers.

The arrested individual has been identified as Jitendra Yadav, aged approximately 28, son of Ramnawal Yadav, a resident of Uchhwa, under Tarwa police station in Azamgarh district, Uttar Pradesh. During questioning, he revealed the names of other individuals believed to be part of an inter-state liquor smuggling network operating across Jharkhand and Bihar. These include Neeraj Gupta, resident of New Sitaramdera in Jamshedpur; Prakash Ram, resident near Sitaramdera police station, Jamshedpur; and Basant Gupta alias Bhandari, resident of Kabisa under Dumariya police station in Gaya district, Bihar. Authorities are currently investigating their roles, and appropriate legal proceedings are underway.

The operation was carried out by personnel from Chainpur police station along with the technical wing of Palamu Police. The district police have appealed to the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity to the nearest police station or control room to help curb such illegal operations.