Varanasi: A joint team of SWAT, Surveillance Cell and Saiyadraja police on Sunday arrested an inter-state liquor smuggler and seized a truck loaded with 1,185 cartons of Indian-made foreign liquor.Chandauli ASP Vikram Dahiya said the seizure was made near Kale Shah Baba Mazar on NH-19. The 1,185 cartons contained a total of 10,451.52 litres of IMFL, he said, adding that its estimated cost was Rs 1.5 crore.Acting on a tip-off, police launched intensive vehicle checking on the highway’s northern lane. On noticing the truck, cops stopped it. The truck driver tried to flee but was caught after a chase. He was identified as Shera Ram alias Suresh Kumar (23) of Barmer in Rajasthan.During the search, cartons of liquor from different popular IMFL brands were found hidden under yellow plastic sacks filled with wood sawdust to mislead police. The accused said that he took the consignment near Panipat, Haryana, for Rs 1 lakh and was transporting it to Bihar.
