The police arrested two men on Friday and seized 27 cartons of English liquor and beer allegedly being smuggled for sale in Chandigarh. The team also impounded the Ford EcoSport used to transport the liquor.

According to the assistant commissioner of police (crime) Aman Kumar, the crime branch-3 team received a tip-off on Friday that illicit liquor had been loaded into a Ford EcoSport at the dumping ground in Sector 23, Panchkula, and was being transported towards Ramgarh.

Acting on the information, the police set up a checkpoint near the dumping ground. At around 10 pm, a Ford EcoSport approaching from the Ghaggar river bridge was signalled to stop. However, the occupants allegedly accelerated upon spotting the police and attempted to flee.

The police team chased the vehicle as it turned towards Herbal Park in Sector 26. The cops eventually intercepted it and apprehended both occupants.

The accused were identified as Deep Singh, 40, and Shubham, 28, both residents of Kurukshetra district.

A search of the vehicle led to the recovery of 27 cartons containing 12 bottles each. These included six cartons of Imperial Blue, four of Royal General, five of McDowell’s, eight of Royal Stag and four of Kingfisher beer.

A case has been registered at the Chandimandir police station under Section 61(1)(A) of the Haryana Excise (Amendment) Act.

Both accused were produced before a court on Saturday and remanded in six-day police custody. During preliminary questioning, they allegedly revealed that they had purchased the liquor from a liquor vendor in Chandigarh.

The police are now trying to identify and arrest the person who supplied the liquor and trace those who were supposed to purchase it. Investigators are also probing the involvement of other people in the alleged illegal liquor trade.