The state excise department raided a warehouse on Solapur Street in Mumbai`s Dana Bunder locality on Wednesday, seized 580 bottles of foreign liquor worth around Rs 80 lakhs and arrested three individuals in the matter, said an official from the State Excise Department, reported news agency ANI.

As per the information received, a truck was also seized during the raid, reported ANI.

State Excise Department, Konkan Division, Deputy Commissioner Prasad Surve said, “To prevent the transportation and sale of illegal liquor on Christmas and New Year, we have formed and deployed multiple squads. One of the squads deployed in Dana Bunder received information of an illegal liquor stock (for sale in Haryana) arriving from Delhi, and further inquiry led to a raid and we recovered 580 bottles of 17 different brands,” reported ANI.

“Trucks used in transportation have also been seized. A case has been registered and three people have been arrested,” he added, reported ANI.

A case has been registered into the matter and further investigation is underway, said an official, reported ANI.

Christmas and the New Year are among the festivals and occasions that are celebrated with great fervour in India, especially in the urban parts of the country. The celebrations and parties during these occasions often involve heavy usage of alcohol, which causes a surge in cases of alcohol smuggling.

Meanwhile, as many as 859 people have been arrested for drug-related offences in Maharashtra`s Thane district from January 1 till November 28 this year and 723 cases registered in this connection, officials said on Thursday, reported PTI.

Drugs and other items worth Rs 4.01 crore were seized from drug-peddlers during this period, they said, reported PTI.

These figures were provided by authorities during a recent meeting of the district-level anti-drug coordination committee presided over by Additional Commissioner of Police (Crime) Punjabrao Ugale and attended by senior officials of various departments, reported PTI.

“A total of 723 offences related to drugs were registered in Thane district between January 1 and November 28. As many as 859 people were arrested in these cases, and drugs and goods worth Rs 4,01,94,718 were seized from drug-peddlers,” inspector Sanjay Shinde from the Thane police`s anti-narcotics cell said, reported PTI.

During the meeting, Ugale directed the officials to intensify inspection of closed chemical units and to ensure that medical stores do not sell cough syrups and other such medicines without the prescription of doctors, reported PTI.

He asked the officials to maintain a strict vigil at landing points of various water bodies in the district, reported PTI.

The police official also directed that the details of drug addicts who come to hospitals for treatment be compiled and the same be followed up to identify drug traffickers, Shinde said, reported PTI.

(With inputs from ANI and PTI)

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