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Industrial effluent, sewage used to brew illicit liquor in Punjab

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Industrial effluent and sewage are used to brew illicit liquor in Punjab.

This fact came to light in a search operation by the Excise and Taxation Department in the Bet area of Ludhiana district that falls along the Satluj river where about 2.80 lakh kg of unclaimed ‘lahan’ (raw material used for producing illicit liquor) and 100 litre of illicit liquor was destroyed on the spot, officials said on Wednesday.

As many as 60 members of search teams carried out the extensive search on Tuesday in some 40 km in which a shocking fact came to the fore that in order to distill the illicit liquor from ‘lahan’, the water used was the one which came from the sewage of industrial units of Ludhiana city.

On seeing the Excise teams, the people involved in the distillation ran away, leaving behind 30 working stills, six quintals of wood, 15 iron drums, two aluminium vessels, plastic pipes and 12 bags of jaggery, an official statement said.

During the operation, excise staff from Jalandhar was also called at other end of the river for combing operations. The operation was aimed to deter the people involved in the illicit distillation of liquor from ‘lahan’ in the Mand areas and areas along the banks of the rivers of the state.

The teams observed the water being used for the liquor distillation was full of the chemical waste and toxins releases from the industrial units.

The illicit brewing of liquor has become a big challenge in areas along the river beds and border areas that are not only having adverse impact on the sale of country-made liquor but also impending threat of hooch tragedies, said the statement.

To end illegal and illicit activities, the department has launched an extensive statewide drive.

On the directive of Excise and Taxation Minister Harpal Singh Cheema, Excise Commissioner Varun Roojam constituted four teams to launch the search operation. The teams were constituted under Deputy Commissioner (Excise) Shalin Walia by Shivani Gupta, Assistant Commissioner (Excise), Ludhiana Range.

Crime

Navi Mumbai Crime Branch Busts Auto-Rickshaw Theft Racket; 12 Stolen Vehicles Worth ₹24 Lakh Recovered

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An intensive investigation involving scrutiny of over 60 CCTV cameras and technical surveillance led the Crime Detection Team of CBD Police Station to bust a widespread auto-rickshaw theft racket in Navi Mumbai. Two habitual offenders were arrested, and 12 stolen Bajaj auto-rickshaws valued at approximately Rs 24 lakh were recovered from various districts across Maharashtra.

The case began after a complaint was filed at CBD Police Station on May 28 regarding the theft of an auto-rickshaw bearing registration number MH-46-BD-9956 from Sector 11, CBD Belapur. Following the complaint, the police team launched an exhaustive technical investigation, combing through more than 60 CCTV camera footages and other forensic leads, which eventually pointed to two suspects.

The arrested individuals have been identified as Nazimoddin Azimoddin Qazi (43), a resident of Partur in Jalna, and Sakib Shamsu Shaikh (24), originally from Jalna but currently living in Taloja Phase-2, Panvel. Qazi was tracked to his hometown in Jalna and arrested on July 12.

During interrogation, the accused confessed to stealing 12 auto-rickshaws from various parts of Navi Mumbai, including CBD, Kharghar, Kalamboli, and Panvel. They revealed that the stolen vehicles were transported and concealed in locations such as Jalna, Hingoli, Parbhani, and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar districts. In an attempt to evade identification, the accused had tampered with engine and chassis numbers, but police investigators were able to recover and identify all 12 vehicles using advanced forensic and technical methods.

The stolen vehicles, all Bajaj auto-rickshaws were seized from multiple locations. Each vehicle is estimated to be worth Rs 2 lakh, taking the total recovery to approximately Rs 24 lakh.

The thefts have been linked to multiple police stations across Navi Mumbai. “Three cases were registered at CBD Police Station, four at Kharghar Police Station, four at Kalamboli Police Station, and one at Panvel City Police Station. The accused had started stealing the vehicles around a year back. The first theft was reported in June last year. Before that they worked as drivers,” Assistant commissioner of police (Turbhe division) Mayur Bhujbal said.

This successful operation was carried out under the guidance of Navi Mumbai Police Commissioner Milind Bharambe, Joint Commissioner Sanjay Yenpure, DCP (Zone I) Pankaj Dahane, and ACP Mayur Bhujbal. The investigation was led by Senior PI Sandesh Revale and Crime PI Arun Pawar, with support from API Suresh Dambre, PSI Vishnu Wagh, and a committed team of police constables who played a key role in cracking the case.

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Crime

Mumbai: High-Profile Sex Racket Busted At Andheri Hotel; 3 Vietnamese Women Rescued

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Mumbai: The MIDC Police busted a high-profile sex racket involving foreign nationals at a hotel in Andheri. The illegal operation was being run from the Empire Suite Hotel near Times Square on Andheri-Kurla Road. The raid, carried out recently following a tip-off, led to the rescue of three Vietnamese women who were allegedly forced into prostitution.

Acting on specific intelligence, senior police officials directed the MIDC Police to verify the information and take immediate action. a decoy customer was sent to the hotel to confirm the operation. Upon reaching the premises, the decoy was received by hotel manager Alam Khalil Chaudhary, who allegedly offered sex services for Rs 6,000 and led him to a room on the eighth floor. There, the decoy met a foreign woman, who later admitted to being involved in prostitution along with two other Vietnamese women staying in another room.

3 Women Rescued From Hotel

After receiving a pre-arranged signal from the decoy, the police team raided the 8th and 9th floors of the hotel, rescuing all three women. The women were taken in for questioning, during which they confirmed their involvement in sex work. They also revealed that their clients were coordinated through an agent who shared their photographs online and directed customers to the hotel.

Further investigation revealed that the sex racket was being run with the knowledge and alleged involvement of the hotel owner, Abdul Salam. According to the police, the manager facilitated all transactions and coordinated with the agent, while Salam oversaw the operation. Police registered a case under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and relevant sections of the Prevention of Immoral Traffic Act (PITA) against both Chaudhary and Salam.

Manhunt Launched For Hotel Owner

While Alam Chaudhary has been arrested, the hotel owner is currently absconding. Efforts are underway to trace and arrest him. The rescued women, all citizens of Vietnam, have had their passports seized and were sent to a shelter home after undergoing medical examinations. The Vietnamese Embassy in India has been informed of their rescue.

Police are now working to identify and track the agent involved in the online coordination of the racket and are investigating whether more people or locations are linked to the operation.

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Crime

Mumbai Police Seize 926 Kg Of Narcotics Worth ₹174 Crore In 6 Months; 744 Arrested In Citywide Crackdown

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Mumbai: The city police have seized over 926 kilograms of contraband in the first half of this year and have arrested 744 persons allegedly involved in 634 drugs related cases registered in the city. Total value of the seized contraband is a whopping Rs 174.19 crore. Statistics revealed that ganja and Mephedrone (MD) have been the most seized contraband in the city.

Ganja, MD Top List Of Most Seized Drugs In City

According to the statistics provided by the police, from January till June this year, the police have registered 28 cases related to seizure of heroin, arrested 35 persons in heroin related cases and had seized 0.85 kg of heroin valued at Rs 2.09 crore.

The police have registered 10 cases related to seizure of charas, arrested 16 persons in charas related cases and have seized 16.27 kg of charas valued at Rs 14.39 crore. The police have registered 402 cases related to seizure of ganja, arrested 416 persons in ganja related cases and seized 865 kg of ganja valued at Rs 31.59 crore.

Cocaine Seizure Small In Volume, High In Value

Stating about the seizures of high-end drugs in Mumbai, the statistics revealed that the police have registered 10 cases related to cocaine seizure, arrested 17 persons in cocaine related cases and seized 6.49 grams of cocaine valued at Rs 57.18 crore.

Thousands Booked For Drug Consumption Alone

The police have registered 136 cases related to seizure of MD, arrested 187 persons in MD related cases and had seized 37.23 kg of MD valued at Rs 68.55 crore. As far as consumption cases are concerned, this year the police have registered 3484 drug consumption cases and have arrested 2968 persons in these cases.

Police Monitoring Darknet, Strengthening Informant Network

“We not only rely on our informant network to get information about drug trafficking in the city, but also keep a close watch on the darknet where drug dealings take place clandestinely. Our efforts are directed towards breaking the chain and syndicates involved in drug peddling in the city. We also take awareness campaigns to make citizens, especially youngsters aware about the menace of drugs and its impact on health,” said a police source.

Statistics from January till June 2025

Heroin – Cases (28), Persons Arrested (35), Seized (0.85 kg)

Charas – Cases (10), Persons Arrested (16), Seized (16.27 kg)

Ganja – Cases (402), Persons Arrested (416), Seized (865 kg)

Cocaine – Cases (10), Persons Arrested (17), Seized (6.49 kg)

MD – Cases (136), Persons Arrested (187), Seized (37.23 kg)

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