In a major crackdown on illegal liquor trade operating inside upscale residential areas, Gurugram Police and the Excise Department raided a flat in Sector 31 and seized 292 bottles of illegal foreign liquor allegedly stocked for commercial supply, officials said on Saturday.
The raid was carried out at Navketan Apartment Society in Sector 31, where police arrested accused Vikram, a resident of Sector 31, after recovering a large cache of expensive liquor brands hidden inside rooms and cupboards of a first-floor flat.
According to the police, the operation was launched following a tip-off received by the Excise Department about illegal storage and suspected supply of liquor from the apartment. A joint team of the Excise Department and Sector-40 police station conducted the raid and recovered the liquor stock from the flat.
Officials said the accused failed to produce any valid licence, permit or documents related to storage or sale of the liquor. A case under various sections of the Excise Act and other relevant laws has been registered, and the police are now probing the source of the liquor and its possible supply network in Gurugram.
Investigators suspect the liquor was not meant for personal consumption but was allegedly being supplied to liquor vendors, parties and hotels in the city. The police officials said they are also examining how such a large quantity of liquor was transported and stored inside a high-security residential society without raising suspicion.
The recovery has also triggered concerns over security checks inside premium residential societies in Gurugram. Residents have reportedly demanded stricter verification and monitoring mechanisms following the incident. Apart from the Sector 31 raid, Gurugram police arrested three more accused in separate operations against illegal liquor trade across the city. In Udyog Vihar, the police arrested Ramswaroop, a resident of Kotputli in Rajasthan, near the power house area and recovered 24 bottles of illegal beer from his possession.
In Bajghera, the police arrested Naveen, a resident of Jawahar Nagar in Rajasthan, near Lakad Market and seized 53 quarters of illegal country-made liquor.
Meanwhile, DLF Phase-3 police arrested Varun, a resident of Mainpuri in Uttar Pradesh, near Hanuman Mandir and recovered 76 quarters of illegal country liquor.
The police said four separate FIRs have been registered in connection with the recoveries and further investigation is underway to identify the wider network involved in illegal liquor storage and distribution in Gurugram.
