Jhajjar, Sept 8: The Crime Investigation Agency (CIA) unit of Jhajjar Police has arrested the mastermind of an interstate liquor smuggling racket from Punjab after nearly 21 months on the run. The arrest came following a tip-off, officials said on Sunday.
Inspector Vivek Malik, who led the operation, identified the accused as Surajmukh, a native of Ambala currently residing in Kharar, Punjab. “He is a proclaimed offender and has been evading arrest for a long time,” Malik said.
The case dates back to December 2023 when police intercepted a truck carrying 375 cartons of illegal liquor in the Dujana area of Jhajjar. A Rajasthan resident, Birbal, was arrested at that time. “During questioning, it emerged that the liquor was being transported from Punjab to Bihar,” Malik explained.
Investigators later traced the operation to Surajmukh, identified as the key figure behind the smuggling network. Despite multiple raids, he managed to stay out of police reach until fresh intelligence inputs led to his arrest in Punjab.
Police said Surajmukh is wanted in several states. “He has four criminal cases in Bihar, four in Gujarat, one in Patiala, and another in Yamunanagar. In many of these, courts have already declared him a proclaimed offender,” Malik noted.
The CIA team also arrested Suresh, a resident of Hansdahar village in Jind, who allegedly sold the truck used in the smuggling operation. “Suresh runs a truck body workshop in Punjab and had tampered with the chassis number before handing it over to Surajmukh,” the inspector said.
Jhajjar Commissioner of Police Rajshree Singh lauded the CIA team’s action and underlined that the drive against drugs and illegal liquor will continue. “We are committed to dismantling such networks and bringing offenders to justice,” she said.
