The Maharashtra government's excise department has arrested two men from Punjab for illegally transporting Indian-Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) worth Rs 1.16 crore in Thane district, an official said here.

Acting on a tip-off, a flying squad of the department intercepted a truck on Wednesday near an eatery at Kasara on Nashik-Mumbai road, said superintendent of state excise Nilesh Sangde.

Inside, the team found 1,502 bottles of IMFL, being smuggled into Maharashtra though the liquor was produced in Punjab and Arunachal Pradesh and was allowed to be sold only in those two states.

The value of the seized liquor was Rs 1,16,45,080, said D T Sorhewale, inspector, state excise.

Jaspal Tarsemlal Singh (50) and Gurdayal Gurdasram Singh (44), both from Punjab, were arrested and further probe was on, he added.