Watermelon cover used for liquor smuggling, driver held | Surat News

Surat: Using watermelons as a cover, bootleggers tried to sneak liquor into the city, but a Detection of Crime Branch (DCB) raid exposed the unusual tactic, leading to the seizure of liquor worth Rs 4.88 lakh from a tempo near Kangaroo Circle in Puna.Acting on a tip-off, DCB teams intercepted a suspicious tempo loaded with watermelons. During the search, police removed several fruits and discovered 50 boxes of liquor hidden beneath them. The consignment had been transported from Maharashtra.The tempo driver, Raju Balai (38), was arrested. Police said the accused reused the same stock of watermelons multiple times to conceal liquor, discarding them only when they began to rot.Officials added that the accused had earlier been caught smuggling liquor concealed in garlic sacks and typically operated near fruit and vegetable markets to avoid suspicion. Police are probing the intended recipient of the consignment.