'They don't make noise': How a gang in Delhi used camels as couriers to smuggle liquor
The Delhi Police conducted the operation on Thursday night after its Anti Auto Theft Squad (AATS) of South district received specific inputs about the gang. During its crackdown, it also arrested five men.
Camels are generally associated with the dunes of Rajasthan, but a team of the Delhi Police recently rescued the desert animal during its crackdown on bootlegging. According to officials, the camels were used by a racket to transport illicit liquor through forest tracks into Delhi.
During its crackdown, the Delhi Police rescued three camels. Speaking at a press conference on Friday, Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) Ankit Chauhan said camels were used by the gang because they don't make noise like a four-wheeler or a two-wheeler and they don't need proper roads to walk.
"The gang opted for camels because vehicles could be identified and intercepted quickly, while the slow-moving animals could pass through forest patches silently, avoiding suspicion," Chauhan said. "The accused tried to exploit this advantage, hoping to smuggle illicit liquor into Delhi undetected."
Five men arrested
The Delhi Police conducted the operation on Thursday night after its Anti Auto Theft Squad (AATS) of South district received specific inputs about the gang. During its crackdown, it also arrested five men.
They have been identified as Vinod Bhadana (48), Sunil Bhadana (38), Rahul (22), Ajay (25) and Saurabh (26). As per the police, Vinod and Sunil are the owners of the camels.
In addition to this, the police also seized 42 cartons containing 1,990 quarter bottles of illicit liquor and 24 beer bottles.
"Acting on the input, a team laid a trap in the forest belt of Sangam Vihar. Around midnight, the police spotted the camels laden with suspicious-looking cartons and intercepted the men handling them," Chauhan said.
Camels to be handed over to concerned authorities
Chauhan said the three camels would be handed over to animal-welfare agencies. He said the gang was using the camels after the police increased surveillance along Delhi's inter-state borders made it difficult to smuggle liquor through cars, scooters or auto-rickshaws.
"Vehicles are easily stopped and checked at checkpoints. Camels, on the other hand, can quietly pass through non-motorable paths inside the forest, away from the eyes of enforcement agencies," he said. "During interrogation, the accused admitted that the technique was deliberate and planned to beat the Delhi Police's excise-enforcement drives."