Maharashtra excise department arrests tanker driver for smuggling fuel

Excise officials had sent a decoy customer to Kolewadi village on the Mumbai–Bangalore Highway.

A press release issued by the state Excise department stated that the accused has been booked under sections of the Maharashtra Liquor Prohibition Act.

The Maharashtra Excise department arrested a man on Wednesday in connection with the alleged smuggling of spirit in a tanker. Police have identified the accused as Pramodkumar Shamsundar Kushwah (38), a native of Uttar Pradesh.

Acting on a tip-off, a team led by Santosh Zagade, superintendent of police of the state Excise department, had initiated a probe in this regard. Excise officials had sent a decoy customer to Kolewadi village on the Mumbai–Bangalore Highway.

After receiving confirmation from the decoy customer, the Excise team raided the spot on Wednesday and arrested tanker driver Kushwah while he was filling spirit from the capsule of the tanker into a barrel of 200-litre capacity, using a pipe. Cops also seized the tanker from the spot along with 24,000 litre of spirit worth Rs 36.30 lakh.

A press release issued by the state Excise department stated that the accused has been booked under sections of the Maharashtra Liquor Prohibition Act. The team that conducted the raid comprised Inspector Arjun Pawar and Inspector Sameer Patil, while Police Sub-Inspector Suraj Daberao is investigating the case further.