600 boxes of illegal liquor from Goa worth Rs 25L seized in Belagavi

The truck, which had been seized by the Excise squad, was illegally transporting liquor under the pretext of ferrying mushroom seeds.

A team of excise department officials with the accused and the seized liquor, in Belagavi on Friday | Express

BELAGAVI: Acting on a tip-off, an Excise squad seized a truck illegally transporting 600 boxes of liquor from Goa, near Kakati in Belagavi taluk on Friday. 

The truck, which had been seized by the Excise squad, was illegally transporting liquor under the pretext of ferrying mushroom seeds. The cost of the illegal liquor is worth about Rs 25 lakh and the cost of the vehicle is estimated to be Rs 30 lakh.

The squad has arrested two accused in connection to that case, who have been identified as  Kutubuddin, a resident of Yargatti and Rehamansab, a resident of Bagalkot. The Excise department team detected a total of five cases recently, recovering vehicles and illegal liquor worth a total of Rs 2 crore. 

The Excise department officials informed that in the latest case, the accused were transporting illegal liquor including Royal Blue whiskey. There is no such whiskey brand produced in Goa.

A special team is formed which will go to Goa and investigate and nab those accused, who are producing this duplicate brand whiskey, they said.