Police on Thursday busted a liquor smuggling racket in which an Special Enforcement Bureau (SEB) Circle Inspector and a law and order sub-inspector, were allegedly involved and seized 557 liquor bottles from them.
Superintendent of Police K. Narayan Naik told a press conference here that the Chintalapudi police during a raid at the Lingagudem border check-post caught the SI — M. Ajay Kumar — attached to the COVID Control Room of the Collectorate, and seized 451 bottles. Based on his confession, police arrested Bantumilli Prohibition and Excise CI (allotted to SEB) P. Hanusree, and seized 106 more liquor bottles, allegedly being smuggled from Telangana. Police seized a car in which the liquor was being smuggled and its driver N. Kamal Santosh. Another vehicle, which was escorting the car, sped away.
Both the CI and the SI were arrested and cases registered against them under the A. P. Excise ( Amendment) Act, the SP said, adding that they would be produced in court.
Mr. Naik said the case was being investigated from all angles to identify the other members in the racket, since how long they were smuggling the Non-Duty Paid Liquor (NDPL), from where they were procuring the stocks in bulk and other details.
Another raid
In a related development, the Tadikalapudi police seized 268 liquor bottles being smuggled from Telangana on two bikes during vehicle checks at Kalla Cheruvu village. Two persons were arrested and cases booked against them, West Godavari SEB Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Kareemulla Sheriff said.
Jangareddygudem Deputy SP M. Snehita, trainee DSP Harshita Chandra, CI Nageswara Rao Naik and Chintalapudi SI Ch. Swamy were present at the press conference.
