Surat authorities have seized a massive liquor consignment worth nearly ₹2 crore on the Rajkot-Ahmedabad highway, exposing once again how smuggling rackets continue to thrive despite Gujarat&rsquo;s strict prohibition laws.
A surveillance team discovered a truck parked inside a hotel compound near Baldana village under suspicious circumstances. On inspection, officials recovered 13,931 bottles of liquor valued at ₹1.78 crore, along with a truck worth ₹30 lakh, mobile phones, and cash. The overall seizure amounted to ₹2.08 crore.
Two accused, identified as Dharmesh alias Dhruv Dineshbhai from Joravarnagar and truck driver Achalraj Rajuram from Rajasthan,&nbsp;were arrested. However, four others, including the alleged mastermind Vijay Lakhdhir Khachar from Wadhwan, remain at large. Police say Khachar, along with his partner Narendra Kanubhai Jalu, and Rajasthan-based associates Manish alias Sutar Sharma and Sataram Jat, orchestrated the smuggling operation.
This case adds to Gujarat&rsquo;s growing list of liquor seizures in 2025. In just the first two months of the year, enforcement agencies confiscated illegal liquor worth ₹6.58 crore, with total assets pegged at nearly ₹11.47 crore. Mid-year crackdowns revealed foreign liquor worth over ₹1 crore in Surendranagar and Bharuch, while in Dahod, liquor bottles were found hidden inside a gas tanker.
Despite continuous enforcement, the scale of smuggling underscores the sophistication and persistence of liquor networks operating across Gujarat. Police have launched an intensified search to nab the remaining accused in the Surat case.

Liquor Haul Worth ₹2 Cr Seized in Surat

13,931 liquor bottles found in truck on Rajkot-Ahmedabad highway, 2 arrested

Liquor Haul Worth ₹2 Cr Seized in Surat

13,931 liquor bottles found in truck on Rajkot-Ahmedabad highway, 2 arrested

August 18, 2025 | 19:26 IST