Thane police to use drones to locate illegal liquor dens, catch culprits in the act

In a bid to crack down on illegal country liquor dens in the district, Thane police has acquired three unmanned aerial vehicles or drones and set up a dedicated team to operate them.

According to an Asian Age report, the unmanned aerial vehicles have started conducting search operations in Bhiwandi’s creek tracts, where many of the factories are suspected to operate from.

Other than locating the dens, the drones will also take photographs, which can later be used as evidence.

Using drones to stop liquor dens in villages around Bhiwandi was a brainchild of Thane rural SP Mahesh Patil.

In the past, when officials would enter the forest area to investigate, the culprits would simply flee as soon as they got a whiff of their activities. The drones, on the other hand, will help get the exact locations and take pictures of the accused.

The evidence can then be used to bring the guilty to justice.

According to another official, the drones have made it very easy to survey the area and collect accurate information about the dens.

An eight-member team, along with a drone expert, will conduct the search operations.

“We have private individual, who is an expert on drones. Apart from him eight officers are working on the project. Two police officers accompany the drone handler at all times and other officers are scattered in the area where the search is to be held,” Dhanaji Kshirsagar, SPI Bhiwandi rural police station told the daily.

We started operations on Sunday and checked three villages so far, he added.

The Thane police are confident that they will be able to bust the illegal liquor racket and arrest the accused with the help of drones.