Ahmedabad bootleggers exploit teenagers

Ahmedabad : In a shocking revelation, Ahmedabad police have uncovered a disturbing trend in which teenage school-going boys are being exploited by bootleggers to deliver Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) bottles to clients in the affluent Bodakdev area. This comes after similar incidents involving women, highlighting a troubling shift in tactics by liquor traffickers in the city.

The racket was exposed during a routine patrol by Bodakdev police. A teenager, passing by on a two-wheeler near Narmada Awas, was stopped and searched by the officers. To their surprise, several liquor bottles were found in his possession. Upon interrogation, the boy revealed that he had been hired by his relative, Ankit Pitambar Parmar, to deliver the liquor. Parmar had promised him a monthly salary of Rs 8,000 along with a commission of Rs 200 for every bottle delivered.

This illegal operation had been running for the past two months, with the boy being tasked to supply the bottles to various addresses in the area. Parmar assured the teenager that police would not stop him, believing that his young age would make him less suspicious in the eyes of law enforcement. The boy’s naivety and the lure of easy money made him an easy target for exploitation.

Official sources have confirmed that this is not an isolated incident. Teenage children in Bodakdev and other posh areas of Ahmedabad are being increasingly recruited by bootleggers. The fixed monthly salary and commission on each bottle make it an attractive proposition for these youngsters, who may not fully comprehend the legal and moral implications of their actions.

Following the discovery, the Bodakdev police have detained the teenager and initiated legal proceedings against him. They have also seized the two-wheeler and the liquor in his possession. Efforts are currently underway to apprehend Ankit Pitambar Parmar and any others involved in this racket.

The case has sparked widespread concern, with discussions arising over the failure of senior officials to dismantle the broader liquor distribution network in Ahmedabad. The involvement of children in such illegal activities is a troubling indicator of the extent to which bootleggers are willing to go to evade law enforcement.