Bhubaneswar: Excise department sleuths Monday arrested four persons for transporting illicit liquor in two vehicles during patrolling on National Highway (NH) 16 near Pitapalli.
The accused were identified as Kanhu Charan Parida, 43, Bikash Gouda, 26, Jagadish Patra, 26, and Manoj Kumar Gouda, 35.
Bhubaneswar Excise SP Debasish Patel said they were tipped off about the smugglers transporting the contraband in vegetable vehicles.
However, the mobile unit of the Excise department intercepted the two vehicles on NH 16 and seized them.
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The team also recovered 2,000 litres of illegal liquor.
Preliminary investigations suggested that the illicit liquor, procured from the Khalikote area of Ganjam district, was being transported to the Dumduma area for sale through vegetable and dry fish vehicles.
“We seized two vehicles from near Pitapalli on NH 16.
They had adopted a unique method to evade arrests. However, we have foiled their plan. Further investigation is underway to find involvement of others, if any, in the case,” said the Excise SP.
