Dharwad: Authorities Unearth “Pushpa” Style Smuggling, Seize Oil Tanker Transporting Liquor

Hubballi: Recall the famous smuggling method adopted by Allu Arjun in the superhit movie “Pushpa,” where he transported red sandalwood in a milk tanker. In a similar fashion, a gang was smuggling Goa brand liquor in an oil tanker. The gang’s run came to an end on the outskirts of Dharwad, evading authorities from Bengaluru to Dharwad until they reached the toll plaza near Narendra village.

The team, led by the Commercial Tax Department Joint Commissioner N. Ravikumar and consisting of Deputy Commissioner Balappa Sampagaon and Assistant Commissioner Vijaykumar Sanadi, conducted the raid.

How the truck came under the officials’ scanner: Normally, a tanker transports 18,000 to 20,000 liters of oil, but officials discovered that this particular tanker was carrying only 3,000 liters of oil. This raised suspicions, prompting the officials to inspect the tanker.

Their shock was palpable when they opened the tanker and found liquor worth Rs 50 lakh inside. Interestingly, both the GST Bill and the tanker’s number plate were found to be duplicates. Although the truck was seized on January 11, it only came to light in the media on Tuesday.

The tanker was going to Udaipur from Bengaluru, said sources.