Gujarat is a dry state where the sale and consumption of liquor are prohibited by law. Despite this, the state has seen numerous smuggling incidents, with alcohol being hidden in everything from water tanks to shipments of fresh vegetables. Recently, Gujarat Police uncovered a new smuggling method involving a government agency. A group in the Gir Somnath district has been using India’s postal service to smuggle alcohol from Diu into the state.
How The Liquor Was Transported
The Una Town Police, located about 15 kilometres from Diu, intercepted a message hinting at a liquor delivery involving a man identified as Nayan Jethwa. Acting on this information, the police stopped him and discovered he was carrying a post office package. Upon closer inspection, they found two parcels inside, both bearing legitimate postal stamps. Further investigation revealed that the parcels contained 19 bottles of various liquor brands.
How Did The Parcel Get Postal Stamps On It
The role of Mayur Gohil came to light after Nayan Jethwa admitted to purchasing the alcohol in Diu. According to the police, Jethwa got the postal seals from Mayur, who holds the position of postmaster in Diu. He also admitted to Mehul loading the Booze parcels onto the India Post delivery vehicles. This manoeuvre was intended to evade suspicion at the security checkpoints.
Smuggling Liquor Under Guise Of Official Postal Packages
Una police confirmed that Gohil had misused his position to smuggle liquor to the dry state. He was the person who helped Jethwa by treating the liquor-laden parcels as standard postal deliveries. The driver of the postal vehicle carried the illegal goods (contraband) without knowing they were illegal, thinking it was just regular mail that needed to be delivered. Following Gohil’s plan, Jethwa collected the parcels from the postal van at Vidhyanagar, situated on Delwada Road.
However, how long they have been transporting liquor illegally to the dry state is not revealed yet. Their plan was busted when the police received a tip-off through sources. Armed with this information, the police officials successfully intercepted Jethwa while he attempted to bring the liquor into Gujarat, thereby foiling the smuggling attempt.
