Following a tragic toxic liquor outbreak in the Bhavnagar district, law enforcement agencies across Gujarat have initiated a massive state-wide crackdown against illegal alcohol rings. Over an intense four-day special operation in Ahmedabad city, police arrested 476 bootleggers and registered hundreds of prohibition offenses. The targeted campaign, conducted between August 18 and August 21 under the direct instructions of Director General of Police (DGP) GS Malik, aimed to dismantle organized illicit liquor networks operating in the state.
Ahmedabad Operation: 436 Cases Filed and Seizures Worth Lakhs
Providing details of the citywide drive, Ahmedabad Police Commissioner Anupam Singh Gehlot revealed that specialized teams from local police stations and the Crime Branch carried out joint raids across multiple locations. During the four-day sweep, authorities registered a total of 436 cases under prohibition laws. Among these, 73 cases involved foreign liquor, with three being classified under serious criminal categories. Law enforcement officers seized 11,479 bottles of foreign liquor and beer valued at Rs 29.93 lakh. When including vehicles and other confiscated equipment, the total value of assets seized in these foreign liquor cases reached Rs 80.56 lakh.
Simultaneously, police cracked down on local illicit brewing operations, registering 336 cases involving country-made liquor. Officers confiscated approximately 3,693 liters of local alcohol valued at around Rs 7.38 lakh, with total seized property in these cases calculated at Rs 8.43 lakh. To prevent repeat offenses, authorities invoked the Prevention of Anti-Social Activities (PASA) Act against seven habitual offenders linked to the illegal bootlegging trade, sending them straight to jail.
Major Confiscations at Sola, Sabarmati, and Naroda Police Stations
Individual police stations across Ahmedabad recorded significant seizures during the crackdown. The Sola police team intercepted 2,762 bottles of foreign liquor and beer valued at Rs 5.05 lakh, while also seizing a motor vehicle worth Rs 4.5 lakh used for transporting the contraband. Four individuals were named as accused in the Sola case.
At the Sabarmati police station, officers seized 1,740 liquor bottles alongside cash, filing charges against one individual. Meanwhile, the Naroda police station recorded the largest single haul of the drive. Officers confiscated 3,840 bottles of alcohol worth Rs 12.61 lakh, a four-wheeler valued at Rs 10 lakh, mobile phones, and currency, naming four individuals as accused in their official filing.
Investigating the Bhavnagar Hooch Tragedy and Chemical Supply Chains
This state-wide police offensive comes in the wake of a devastating bootleg liquor incident in Bhavnagar district. The death toll from the poison liquor consumption reached 13 by August 23. Among the recent victims who succumbed during medical care were Mukesh Damor (36) and Bhargav Upadhyay (42), while three other affected individuals remained under active hospital treatment.
Chemical and forensic investigations revealed that the fatal brew contained high concentrations of toxic methanol. Operators of the illicit network had packaged the deadly substance into counterfeit bottles of the popular whiskey brand Royal Stag to deceive buyers. Police have filed formal FIRs naming 21 primary accused in the Bhavnagar incident, with total arrests rising to 27 during the ongoing probe. Investigating teams are currently tracing how the raw chemical stock entered Gujarat from neighboring states, including Madhya Pradesh, alongside scrutinizing the local manufacturing units and supply links throughout Bhavnagar's rural hinterlands.
Sustained Action Against Anti-Social Networks
Police Commissioner Anupam Singh Gehlot emphasized that the enforcement drive will not conclude with the four-day campaign. He stated that police teams are maintaining elevated surveillance and pressure against criminal elements across Ahmedabad, noting that approximately 41 anti-social figures have faced legal enforcement over the past ten days alone.
