Now, booze packed in 180ml cardboard cartons

Surat: Cops in Silvassa busted a bootlegging racket wherein bootleggers were packing and supplying Indian made foreign liquor (IMFL) in 180ml paper cartons (tetra pak). At least 2,500 cartons worth Rs1 lakh were seized by Dadra and Nagar Haveli crime branch on Saturday. “It was an unusual method to use small paper cartons to deliver liquor. This is first time that police here have come across such a method to transport liquor to Gujarat,” said police officer of Silvassa crime branch.
Police arrested Kaisar Sidiqui with liquor consignment which was supposed to be transported to Vadodara.Police raided a warehouse in Amli area of Silvassa and seized the liquor consignment for violation of Central Excise Act. Police said a IMFL stockist cannot store or transport higher amount of liquor than the permissible limit. The quantity seized in Amli was higher than the permissible limit.
Police suspect the accused was transporting the liquor in paper carton packing to avoid getting noticed by police in Gujarat. “It seems bootleggers have developed a new modus operandi to transport liquor to Gujarat,” the police officer said.
“The packing seems to be legal. It has logo of manufacturer, batch number and other details of the company. The details of the distillery in Rampur of Uttar Pradesh have been mentioned on the cartons,” he added.
Siddiqui was produced in a court which remanded him in police custody for four days. Police are investigating from where the liquor had reached Silvassa, who had purchased it and who was to accept it in Vadodara. “Details will be available after investigation,” another police officer said.