In a major move to expose the liquor smuggling nexus, Amritsar rural police in a joint operation with the Excise Department have nabbed the kingpin of the racket from the Tarn Taran area on Sunday following a seizure of a huge quantity of country-made hooch from five persons.
The kingpin has been identified as Supreet Singh, alias Joti Sekhon, of Nadohar Chowk, Patti. While interrogating him police further came to know about smugglers and busted the racket of around eight illegal hooch vends in Patti of Tarn Taran. However, more recoveries are likely to be made during the further course of the probe, the police claimed.
Reportedly, on Saturday, the rural police had arrested Lovepreet Singh of Kaler Khan; Karanpreet Singh of Kaile Kalan; Pehaljit Singh of Ghuman Kalan; Lovepreet Singh of Ghuman Kalan, all residents of Gurdaspur and Baljinder Singh of Patti (Tarn Taran).
According to the police, all accused used to smuggle Indian made foreign liquor (meant for Arunachal Pradesh) via Tarn Taran to Amritsar, Batala, and Gurdaspur through link roads. The police recovered 90 boxes of liquor containing 810 litre liquor.
"Following a tip-off from the Excise Department, a joint checkpoint was laid at Jandiala Guru T-point. Three vehicles including Maruti Suzuki Brezza (PB-06-AG-9444), Verna (PB-65-M-8686) besides a goods carrier containing 90 boxes of country-made liquor (total 810 litres) were intercepted at the checkpoint," said SSP Dhruv Dahiya.
Divulging the details of interrogation police stated that the racket used to bring liquor from Supreet Singh and his brother Harman Sekhon, a close aide of Patti MLA Harminder Singh Gill. After receiving more information provided by them, the police, in a joint operation with excise officials, raided the designated spot, where they found a bottle and empty boxes and arrested Supreet Singh.
Singh told the police that after the seizure of 90 boxes of liquor, they shifted the entire stock to another godown in Tarn Taran. He said the liquor first came at a godown in Chandigarh and from there it was supplied to the Majha region via Tarn Taran.
Dahiya said the accused also used to run eight liquor vends in Patti. He said these vends were identified and Tarn Taran police had been informed about this.