Acting on a tip-off, the district administration, led by sub-divisional officer (SDO) Garima Singh, on Thursday recovered 30 boxes of illicit foreign liquor being transported in a van near Lalgutwa bridge, about 20km from the capital, under Nagri thana area.

Around 5am SDO Singh, accompanied by Nagri thana officers, intercepted the vehicle.

“Each box contained 12 bottles. The driver was arrested and the bottles were seized and handed over to local police station for further investigation,” said SDO Singh.

According to a police officer the liquor bottles were stored inside a house in Nagri and was being transported to another location in the same area. “We have detained the driver. He can help us recover some more quantities of illicit liquor,” he said.

Later in the afternoon SDO Singh also learnt about an illegal liquor godown near State Bank of India in Nagri and immediately reached the spot. “The godown had its shutter down. Upon opening the shop we recovered 47 bottles of illicit liquor. The godown was immediately sealed,” said Singh.

In the wake of the parliamentary elections, the district administration is taking strict measures to prevent the production and sale of illicit liquor in the district.

On March 26, SDO Singh had carried out a daylong raid at different locations in the city. During the raid three illegal distilleries in Mayapur village, about 20km from Ranchi, were destroyed.

Money in car

Police on Thursday intercepted a white SUV carrying Rs 30 lakh cash at Pithoria thana check post, 25km from the city.

The car, with its registration number JH01BF 9019, belongs to one Gajanand Prasad.

Ranchi DC Rai Mahimapat Ray said the car was on its way Ranchi from Patratu. “In case of transport of over Rs 10 lakh cash in the time of elections one is supposed to inform the district administration. We are probing the incident,” he added.