Jaipur | May 18, 2026
In a massive blow to inter-state liquor smuggling networks, the Rajasthan Excise Department has executed a high-value seizure in the Kota division. Operating under the direct supervision of state Excise Commissioner Namit Mehta, enforcement wings deployed under the ongoing ‘Special Preventive Campaign’ intercepted a heavy commercial truck and recovered illicit West-produced liquor valued at an estimated ₹60 lakh.
This strategic, intelligence-led operation not only disrupts a major transnational smuggling corridor but also prevents substantial revenue leakage to the state exchequer. According to departmental ledgers, this breakthrough follows similar large-scale enforcement seizures targeting truck-bound contraband networks in Hanumangarh, Udaipur, and Jodhpur districts.
Precise Intelligence Sourcing and Detailed Inventory of Seizure
Providing details on the interception, Additional Excise Commissioner for the Kota Zone, Naresh Kumar Malav, confirmed that the operation was set in motion following a verified, high-grade confidential input processed by the department’s intelligence network. Enforcement units set up a strategic blockade on Sunday night, May 17, 2026, near the New Toll Plaza in Gopalpura along National Highway 52 (NH-52).
Upon profiling and stopping a suspicious heavy-duty transport truck, officers subjected the cargo hold to a rigorous physical search. Inspection teams discovered that hundreds of illicit liquor cartons were meticulously concealed beneath rows of commercial jute sacks used as cover load. The audited breakdown of the confiscated cargo includes:
- Total Cartons Seized: 1,360 cartons
- Total Quarter Bottles Recovered: 65,280 individual quarters
- Contraband Classification/Brand: ‘Rajasthani Whisky’ (Explicitly stamped ‘For Sale in Chandigarh Only’)
- Estimated Market Valuation: Approximately ₹60,00,000 (₹60 lakh)
Multi-Jurisdictional Task Force and Legal Procedures
The successful raid was executed by a coordinated task force drawn from multiple district excise offices. The field operation was spearheaded under the joint leadership of District Excise Officer (Baran) Devendra Giri, District Excise Officer (Kota) Vivek Sharma, and Assistant Excise Officer Narayan Singh Tomar.
The primary frontline seizure team included Excise Inspectors Chetan and Pradeep Meena, alongside Preventive Officers (PO) Pramod Singh, Hansraj Meena, Prithviraj Singh Meena, and an armed contingent of the Excise Police. The department has officially impounded the transport vehicle under the statutory provisions of the Rajasthan Excise Act, registered a criminal case against unidentified transit operators, and initiated a wider investigation to trace the kingpins of the supply chain.
Commissioner Issues Directives: Institutional Accountability to be Enforced
Following the successful operation, Excise Commissioner Namit Mehta issued a stern warning to all regional deputy commissioners, flying squads, and border check-posts to maintain a strict ‘Zero Tolerance’ stance against the production, transit, hoarding, and retail of bootlegged liquor.
Reviewing the parameters of the enforcement campaign via a high-level video conferencing (VC) session, the Commissioner stated that check-posts in districts showing sub-optimal enforcement data will remain under active surveillance, and checking drives will intensify. He warned that any administrative laxity or operational failure in blocking illegal inflows from neighboring territories—such as Haryana, Punjab, and Chandigarh—will result in immediate disciplinary actions, with accountability fixed directly on the respective zonal nodal officers.
Disclaimer: This law-and-order, public policy, and corporate enforcement dispatch is compiled strictly from authorized press briefings, statutory seizure memos, and official statements released by the Department of Excise, Government of Rajasthan, on May 18, 2026. For verified legal mandates regarding the Rajasthan Excise Act, penalty frameworks, or official departmental circulars, please consult the authorized portal of the Rajasthan State Excise Department.
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