# Kanker Police Recover 132 Litres of Liquor from Smugglers' Car, Arrest Three, Seize Assets Worth Rs 5.18 Lakh

> Police in Chhattisgarh's Kanker district have seized 132 litres of illegal liquor from a Swift Dzire and arrested three smugglers, with cash, phones and the vehicle taking the total value of confiscated items past Rs 5.18 lakh.

**Type:** article · **Category:** Chhattisgarh · **Published:** 2026-09-07 · **Source:** TrendKia
**Canonical:** https://trendkia.com/en/chhattisgarh/kanker-men-taskaron-ki-kara-se-baramada-hui-132-litara-sharaba-tina-giraphtara-5-lakha-18-hajara-rupae-ki-snpatti-jabta-28919 · **Language:** English
**Tags:** liquor smuggling, Kanker police, illegal liquor, Chhattisgarh, Ujiyara Abhiyan, excise department, arrest

Police in Chhattisgarh's Kanker district have cracked down on a liquor smuggling operation, pulling over a car packed with contraband alcohol and arresting three men. The bust comes even as neighbouring Madhya Pradesh grapples with a deadly spurious liquor tragedy in Sagar, where 15 people have died and more than 84 others have fallen ill, prompting authorities there to launch a strict investigation.

## A tip-off leads to a roadblock
On the intervening night of September 5 and 6, police in Kanker's Korar station area received word from an informer that a white Swift Dzire was ferrying a large consignment of liquor. Acting on the tip, officers rushed to Chilhati Chowk in the Charama area and set up a mobile checkpost. When the car arrived, it was intercepted, and the three men travelling in it were identified as Prem Kumar Sinha, a resident of Charama, Umendra Baghel of Narharpur and Rohit Devangan of Jagdalpur.

## Sixteen crates of beer and whisky found inside
A thorough search of the vehicle turned up seven crates of beer and nine crates of whisky, sixteen crates of liquor in total. None of the three men could produce valid documents for the alcohol, after which police declared the entire consignment illegal and seized it along with the car used to transport it.

## Cash, phones and liquor worth over Rs 5.18 lakh confiscated
The 132 litres of liquor recovered has been valued at roughly Rs 73,000. Officers also recovered Rs 25,000 in cash and three smartphones from the accused. Counting the vehicle, the total value of everything seized in the operation has been put at more than Rs 5,18,000. Kanker's Additional Superintendent of Police, Yogesh Sahu, said, "On the SP's directions, action against illegal intoxicants is being carried out across the district under the 'Ujiyara Abhiyan'."

## One accused already blacklisted by the excise department
Investigators found that one of the three, Prem Kumar Sinha, had already been blacklisted by the excise department in the past. He is also said to have previously worked at a liquor shop in Charama, giving him prior familiarity with the trade. Police are separately verifying the roles played by the other two accused, Umendra Baghel and Rohit Devangan.

## Where was the liquor headed, and where did it come from?
Police are now trying to trace the liquor's origin and its intended destination. Early findings suggest that part of the seized stock had actually been produced within Chhattisgarh itself. The three smartphones recovered from the accused have been sent for examination, and officers say call detail record analysis of these phones is expected to reveal more about the wider smuggling network and anyone else involved.

Similar operations are continuing across the district, rattling those involved in the illegal liquor trade. Officials say checking drives and investigations under the Ujiyara Abhiyan will only intensify in the days ahead as police try to reach the full smuggling network.

## What this means for you
If you live in or around Kanker, expect more vehicle checking and roadblocks in the coming days.

- **Across India:** Following the spurious liquor deaths in Sagar, vigilance against illegal liquor has increased nationally. This means police and excise departments in other states may also step up checks on unlicensed or smuggled alcohol.
- **In Kanker, Chhattisgarh:** The district's ongoing 'Ujiyara Abhiyan' means sustained crackdowns are underway. This raises the risk that anyone smuggling liquor through the district could be caught quickly through sudden checkposts and informer tip-offs.
- **For vehicle owners:** Carrying valid documents for any goods transported at night has become essential. Without them, as in this case, both the goods and the vehicle can be seized.
- **For former liquor shop staff:** Anyone blacklisted by the excise department is now under closer police watch. Being caught in illegal trade again is likely to draw stricter action.
- **For those linked to the network:** CDR analysis of the seized phones could expose the wider smuggling chain, meaning others connected to it may be identified soon.

## Questions & Answers

### 1. How much liquor did Kanker police seize?
Police seized 132 litres of liquor, comprising seven crates of beer and nine crates of whisky, sixteen crates in total.

### 2. What was the total value of items seized?
Liquor, cash, mobile phones and the car together took the total value of seized items to more than Rs 5,18,000.

### 3. Who are the arrested accused?
Prem Kumar Sinha of Charama, Umendra Baghel of Narharpur and Rohit Devangan of Jagdalpur were arrested.

### 4. How did police learn about the smugglers?
Acting on an informer's tip-off received on the night of September 5 and 6, police set up a checkpoint at Chilhati Chowk.

### 5. Had any of the accused been caught before?
Prem Kumar Sinha had already been blacklisted by the excise department and had previously worked at a liquor shop.

### 6. Under which campaign was this action carried out?
The action was carried out under Kanker police's 'Ujiyara Abhiyan', a district-wide drive against illegal intoxicants.

### 7. What is being investigated next?
Police are trying to trace where the liquor came from and where it was headed, and are examining the seized phones' call records.

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