Mandi Police Seize 960 Bottles of Illegal Liquor in Balh; One Arrested.
80 cartons of country liquor and Royal Stag whisky recovered from a Bolero pickup near Kansa Bridge cremation ground; case registered under Excise Act.
Shimla:
In a major crackdown on the illegal liquor trade, the Mandi district police have seized 960 bottles of liquor being transported illegally in a Bolero pickup and arrested one person in connection with the case.
The seizure was made by the Central Investigation Agency (CIA) team of Mandi police on November 5 following a tip-off about the illegal transportation of liquor. Acting on the secret information, the police team intercepted and searched a Bolero pickup bearing registration number HP65-8446 near the cremation ground at Kansa Bridge.
During the search, the police recovered a total of 80 cartons containing 960 bottles of liquor from the possession of a person travelling in the vehicle. The seized consignment included 50 cartons of country liquor (Santra), comprising 600 bottles, and 30 cartons of Royal Stag whisky, containing 360 bottles.
The accused has been identified as Suraj Nayak alias Abu, a resident of Sundernagar tehsil in Mandi district.
Following the recovery, the police registered a case against the accused at Balh Police Station under Section 39(1)(A) of the Himachal Pradesh Excise Act. The case has been registered as FIR No. 232/2026, dated November 5, 2026.
The police have initiated further investigation to establish the source of the liquor, its intended destination and whether any other individuals were involved in the illegal transportation and distribution network.
Mandi police reiterated their commitment to taking strict action against the illegal liquor trade and drug-related activities in the district. The police have also urged the public to share information about illegal activities to help curb such practices.
