41 bootleggers land behind bars in a month

Chandigarh: In a special campaign against liquor smugglers and other criminals, sixteen police stations of the city had registered 35 cases under the sections of the Excise Act and arrested 41 persons involved in bootlegging in the month of June. The crime branch team arrested five persons for allegedly smuggling illicit liquor and also recovered illegal godown of liquors at Dadumajra. Police claimed to have recovered a total 2043 boxes of liquor of different brands and two Mahindra pick up trucks from the possession of the accused. However, two constables of the UT police department were also caught for smuggling liquor to dry state Gujarat in Narnaul by Haryana police and taking strict actions against them; the police department dismissed them from services last month. In 35 cases, the police department claimed to have recovered a total 21,356 full bottles, 1,376 halves and 49,057 quarters of country-made liquor and IMFL from the possession of the arrested liquor smugglers. Besides this, the UT police also registered eight cases under gambling act and claimed to have recovered Rs 57,427 in cash.