Daijiworld Media Network – Mapusa
Mapusa, Aug 21: Pernem police on Wednesday arrested Saddam Asgar (42), the driver of the lorry that caught fire while transporting illicit liquor at Mahakhajan, Dhargalim in Pernem taluka two months ago.
Asgar, a native of Palwal in Haryana, was apprehended from Gujarat. Police confirmed that the owner of the truck continues to remain absconding.
The case dates back to June 17, when a lorry carrying Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) caught fire on NH-66 near the Colvale–Dhargalim bridge. Investigations revealed that the vehicle bore a fake Nagaland registration number and had its chassis number tampered with, raising suspicions of an organised illicit liquor network.
The container was found loaded with boxes of liquor bottles affixed with fake labels claiming they were distilled, blended and bottled in Mejwa district of Madhya Pradesh. Following the incident, the excise department confiscated alcohol worth Rs 60 lakh that was being transported out of the state.
Police said further investigation is underway to trace the absconding truck owner and unearth the larger racket behind the illicit trade.