BELAGAVI: Excise Department officials seized a 12-wheeler tanker transporting 24,000 litres of liquor illegally near MK Hubballi town in Belagavi district on Saturday.
The total value of the seized vehicle and liquor is estimated at Rs 32.40 lakh.
According to the Excise Department, the seizure was made during a road patrol on the state highway connecting Holihosur village and MK Hubballi town at around 12.25 am.
Officials intercepted a BharatBenz tanker bearing registration number KA-25-AA-3750 and found that it was carrying the liquor illegally.
The driver, Bandenawaja Nabi Saab Tiganibidari, a resident of Bolachikkalaki village in Vijayapura district, was issued a notice directing him to appear for questioning under Section 35(3) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023.
The department has also registered a case against the vehicle owner and submitted the first information report to the court, officials said.
The operation was conducted by the Bailhongal Excise Zone under the guidance of senior Excise Department officials, including the Additional Commissioner of Excise, Belagavi Headquarters; Joint Commissioner of Excise, Belagavi Division; Deputy Commissioner of Excise, Belagavi South District; and Deputy Superintendent of Excise, Ramdurg Sub-Division.