IMFL worth Rs 22 lakh seized as police fire at container truck during raid in Vadodara; 3 arrested

As soon as SMC officials reached the spot, the bootleggers allegedly pelted the police personnel with stones, prompting Inspector RG Khant to open fire at the container; two rounds of fire cracked through the windscreen of the container truck, said officials. As soon as the police fired the two rounds, eight persons, including wanted bootlegger Zuber Shafiq Memon, escaped from the spot and have been declared wanted in the case, officials added.

Officials said the SMC officials confiscated alcohol worth about Rs 22 lakh as well as the container truck and a luxury SUV being used in the crime, amounting to a total of Rs 60 lakh of muddamal, that was brought to Harni police station in Vadodara.

Three arrested accused have been identified as Firoz Diwan, Altaf Hussain Diwan and Ratansinh Sodha — all residents of Vadodara – even as prime accused Memon along with his accomplices, including the driver of the SUV and five other working for Memon, escaped.

A senior official of the Vadodara police said, “The fact that the SMC raided a bootleggers’ activity in the city limits is never taken lightly. There will be an internal inquiry against officials of the Harni police station for missing this information… As far as the case is concerned, a probe has been initiated into the sequence of events and what may have led the SMC Police inspector to fire in self-defence. We are also looking for the other accused.”