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Ahmedabad: Police raided a rave party in Gujarat’s Ahmedabad, detaining 15 people who were found drinking in the dry state.
Bopal police acted after receiving information about a party at Zephyr Farmhouse near Shilaj, where both liquor and drugs were allegedly being consumed.
On reaching the venue, police found 15 persons, including 13 foreign nationals from Nigeria, Mozambique, Kenya and other African countries, drunk along with two Indians.
The investigation revealed that organizers had printed special passes for the party, which advertised “unlimited liquor”, indicating the scale and planning behind the event.
All 15 attendees have been detained, a case has been registered, and further interrogation is underway to identify the main organisers, the farmhouse owner and the source of the liquor in a state where liquor is banned.
Liquor has been strictly prohibited in Gujarat since 1960 under the Gujarat Prohibition Act, 1949, which prohibits the sale, consumption and manufacture of liquor across the state.
The law applies to all types of alcoholic beverages including Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL), country liquor and spirits. Exceptions exist only for medicinal, industrial and export purposes, subject to government permission. Violation of the Act carries severe penalties including imprisonment, fine and confiscation of assets involved in trafficking.
Despite Gujarat’s strict prohibition laws, illicit liquor trade remains a significant issue.
In 2024, officials seized around 82 lakh liquor bottles worth Rs 144 crore across the state. There were over 4.38 lakh bottles in Ahmedabad alone, of which 2,139 cases were related to IMFL and 7,796 cases were related to country liquor. Notably, the State Monitoring Cell (SMC) registered 455 cases, in which liquor worth Rs 22.5 crore and goods worth a total of about Rs 52 crore were seized.
In a significant operation, the SMC seized over 8,500 bottles of foreign-made liquor worth Rs 1.19 crore in Chotila taluka of Surendranagar.
Additionally, in a mid-sea raid at Una in Rajkot, officials intercepted a boat carrying liquor worth Rs 25 lakh.
These seizures reflect ongoing efforts to tackle the illicit liquor trade, which often involves smuggling from neighboring states like Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh.
–IANS