Nellore: How SEB sleuths posed as operatives to bust illegal liquor gang

Nellore: Special Enforcement Bureau (SEB) seized spurious liquor worth over Rs 25 lakh and arrested eight persons including two supervisors at state-run liquor stores in Nellore. SEB launched a decoy operation and busted the gang involved in transporting illicit liquor from Goa. Officers posed as operatives arrested their accomplices and seized the tankers used in the smuggling.

The liquor was sold through the government outlets in collusion with the supervisors at Anantasagaram and Chilakalamarri. "They used to change the stickers of liquor bottles to hoodwink authorities. We have nabbed eight persons so far in connection with the case and the hunt is on to nab six more persons in connection with the seizure of 17,808 bottles of smuggled liquor," said Nellore police chief Ch Vijaya Rao

The arrested have been identified as Surendra (23) and his accomplices, Sheik Anwar, Ch Vijayabhaskara Reddy, Krishnakanth, Pawan Kumar, and Subba Reddy. Two supervisors of state-run liquor shops, Suresh and Venkateswarlu were also arrested. "We have sent teams to Goa to nab the other accomplices," said SEB Joint Director K Srilakshmi.

A car used by the offenders and 260 stickers were also seized by SEB sleuths. Probably it is the biggest seizure of spurious liquor and it is a major crackdown, SEB personnel added.