The Prakasam police busted an inter-State liquor racket and arrested four persons, including one from Telangana, near Maddipadu in Prakasam district on Thursday.
Liquor worth ₹7 lakh, being transported from Hyderabad to Nellore, was seized from the four persons, including three from neighbouring SPSR Nellore district, Ongole Deputy Superintendent of Police K.V.V.N.V. Prasad told reporters here on Thursday night.
On a tip-off, a police party, led by Ongole Rural Police Circle Inspector P. Subba Rao laid in wait on the arterial Chennai-Kolkata highway. A mini-truck carrying onions which was closely followed by a car was asked to stop. But the two vehicles tried to speed away on seeing the police.
After a hot chase, the four smugglers were nabbed by Maddipadu sub-Inspector Firoja Fatima and other personnel near the Gundlapalli Growth Centre. Police personnel were surprised to find a large number of liquor bottles concealed behind onion load in the mini-truck.
In all, 720 bottles of 750 ml liquor and 960 bottles of 180 ml liquor were seized from them as also the mini-truck and the car.
The arrested were P. Nageswara Rao (42) from Khammam in Telangana and P. Jaganmohan Rao (38), B. Babu Rao (30), both from Padalakuru near Nellore and C.Chandramouli (42) from Nellore city.
Case registered
A case was registered under 34(A) of Andhra Pradesh Excise Act.
On interrogation, the arrested informed the police that they purchased the liquor from a wine shop in Miyapur in Hyderabad and moving the same to Nellore to make a fast buck.
