Moga, May 9: In one of the biggest hauls during the current fiscal year, the Moga police on Tuesday seized 374 cases (4,488 bottles) of country-made liquor from a canter that was allegedly smuggled from Haryana and arrested one person.
Although local police officials could not immediately confirm where the liquor was to be supplied, but sources say this consignment of liquor was heading for the poll-bound Shahkot area in Jalandhar district.
The Shahkot constituency shares its border with the Dharamkot area of Moga district.
Preliminary reports suggested that the canter loaded with liquor entered Moga through the Nihalsinghwala area. It was reportedly loaded from a vend in the Dabwali area of Haryana adjoining the Punjab border.
The police claimed that the canter was intercepted by the cops on the outskirts of Madoke village falling under the Ajitwal police station.
On seeing the police, canter driver identified as Amarjit Singh of Patiala fled away from the spot. However, one of his associates identified as Deepak Kumar of Rajpura in Patiala was arrested.
When the cops searched the canter, as many as 374 cases of country-made liquor of various brands with labels of the Haryana Government were recovered. The arrested accused, who was working as a helper for the driver, confessed that they brought the liquor from Haryana but did not say anything about the destination where it was to be supplied.
Sources said few local smugglers of Bilaspur and Badhni Kalan villages of Nihalsinghwala subdivision in Moga district could also be involved in this racket of liquor smuggling, but it could be ascertained only after the driver’s arrest.
