Nagpur: The state excise department seized foreign liquor worth over Rs 11 lakh being smuggled from Madhya Pradesh near a railway crossing in Gondia district last December, the Maharashtra Legislative Council was informed on Monday.Deputy CM Sunetra Pawar, replying to a starred question raised by MLCs Parinay Fuke, Uma Khapre, Sadashiv Khot, and Pravin Darekar, said that the seizure was made near the Bramhani railway crossing in Amgaon taluka on December 21, 2025. One accused was arrested, and contraband worth Rs 11,32,108 was recovered. A case was registered under the Maharashtra Prohibition Act.Pawar said Gondia district shares its border with both Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, making it vulnerable to interstate liquor smuggling. However, she clarified that, barring the December 21 case, no other smuggling offence was registered in the district during the period under review. She added that legal sales of liquor in the district did not decline due to smuggling activity.To check interstate smuggling, one permanent border checkpost is operational at Deori, and two temporary checkposts function at Ghattgemani and Amgaon (Malhi). The excise department’s executive units, flying squads, and border checkposts conduct regular operations. Between April 1, 2025, and February 15, 2026, a total of 1,320 cases were registered across the district, with 1,095 accused arrested and contraband worth Rs 2.40 crore seized.Under Section 93 of the Maharashtra Prohibition Act, preventive action was taken in 167 cases during the same period, with bond amounts of Rs 32.25 lakh recovered from offenders.
