Pune Excise Busts Goa Liquor Smuggling Racket; ₹48 Lakh Worth of Alcohol Seized, Five Arrested
Pune Excise Busts Goa Liquor Smuggling Racket; ₹48 Lakh Worth of Alcohol Seized, Five Arrested
Pune, December 19, 2025: The Pune division of the Maharashtra State Excise Department has seized liquor and related materials worth ₹48 lakh in two separate enforcement actions conducted on the Satara and Solapur highways. The seized consignment was allegedly being smuggled from Goa into Maharashtra for illegal sale, officials said on Thursday.
The operations resulted in the arrest of five accused and the confiscation of vehicles used for transportation. Acting on specific intelligence, excise teams intercepted the consignments during routine highway checks.
In the first operation, officials stopped a four-wheeler on the Pune–Solapur National Highway near Uruili Kanchan. The vehicle was found carrying a large quantity of foreign liquor manufactured in Goa. Three persons, including the driver and the alleged main conspirator, all residents of Karmala tehsil in Solapur district, were taken into custody. Liquor, the vehicle and other materials worth ₹4.71 lakh were seized in this action.
The second operation was carried out near Sarola village in Bhor tehsil along the Pune–Bengaluru National Highway. Based on a tip-off, excise officials laid a trap and inspected a six-wheeler truck. During the search, they discovered a substantial quantity of Goa-labelled liquor being transported under the cover of a medicine consignment. A truck and a car, along with liquor worth ₹43.57 lakh, were seized, and two individuals from Pune were detained.
The coordinated action was conducted under the supervision of Excise Commissioner Rajesh Deshmukh, Joint Commissioner Prasad Surve and Divisional Deputy Commissioner Sagar Dhomkar, with guidance from Pune Excise Superintendent Atul Kanade.
With municipal elections approaching in parts of the district, excise officials have warned of increased attempts to distribute illegal liquor to influence voters. To counter this, 21 special teams have been deployed across the Pune division. Authorities have also ordered intensified night patrols, strict monitoring of repeat offenders and comprehensive vehicle inspections.
Superintendent Kanade stated that the department will continue its crackdown on illegal liquor manufacturing, transport and sale, and urged citizens to report any suspicious activity.
