PUNE: The state excise department, Pune, has jacked up vigilance across the district following the Supreme Court ban on liquor within 500 metres of state and national highways.Senior officials from the excise department said the extra vigil is to thwart increasing attempts of illicit liquor smuggling in the district.The department has increased its night rounds across the district, including highway stretches and district roads. "We have increased patrolling across all the 14 units in the district with two flying squads of eight personnel each patrolling the roads during night hours," a senior official of the department (Pune district) said.During one of its recent patrolling rounds, the department officials cracked down on a vehicle smuggling 144 bottles of Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL). A criminal case under the Maharashtra Prohibition Act has been registered against the person smuggling the liquor.Further investigation of the perpetrator led the excise department to his house in Shirur, where they found 98 bottles of 750ml each. They contained liquor manufactured in Madhya Pradesh, but bore the 'for sale in Mumbai and Goa' tag. Another 239 IMFL refilled and resealed bottles of 180ml capacity were found stashed in the house, apart from 190 empty liquor bottles. The seized material, including the liquor, car and other material, is worth Rs 3.76 lakh, the officials said.In another raid in Daund, the department recently arrested one person smuggling 96 bottles of IMFL, 48 bottles of beer, among other material, which was meant for sale in Daman.The raids were carried under the direction of deputy commissioner Arjun Ahol, Pune excise department superintendent Mohan Varde and Pune excise department deputy superintendent Sunil Fulpagar.

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