Gandhinagar:

In a strict step against illegal liquor traders in Gujarat, DGP Shivanand Jha has issued a circular instructing the police officials to make efforts to ensure action against bootleggers in case of big seizures of Indian Made Foreign Liquors (IMFL) under Prevention of Money Laundering Act 2002 by Enforcement Directorate.

Jha in the circular, copies of which have been sent to all the district and city police chiefs, DGP-CID, IGs and DIGs, has said that the action under PMLA/ED including attachment of properties of the bootleggers would only be possible if they were found to be guilty under the scheduled offences listed under the Act.

He has also said that the offcences under Gujarat Prohibition Act 1949 did not fall under the said scheduled offences of the PMLA.

He has instructed that many of the big bootleggers during smuggling of IMFL also commit such crimes under various other sections of IPC which falls under the scheduled crimes listed in the PMLA.

The DGP has said that the IG/DIG of the concerned area must monitor the big seizures of IMFL ie of Rs 20 lakh or above and also try to find the scheduled offences committed in such cases to ensure actions against bootleggers under PMLA.

DeshGujarat