Ahead of Holi, big crackdown on illicit liquor trade

Ahead of Holi, the state excise department is running a special prohibition campaign since March 1 to curb the manufacturing, sale and smuggling of illegal liquor.

As per a senior official of the excise department, joint teams of excise, local administration and police officials were raiding locations where illicit liquor are manufactured and sold. To prevent inter-state smuggling, temporary check posts have been set up on national and state highways.

The campaign was being carried out on the instructions excise commissioner Adarsh Singh, the official said.

As part of the drive, the teams conducted 31,176 raids, registered 3,556 cases, recovered 1.11 lakh litres of illegal liquor and destroyed 1.43 lakh kg of raw materials used in making liquor from March 1 to 11.

In this period, 644 people arrested and booked under the relevant sections of the Excise Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Also, two vehicles that were used in the transportation of illegal liquor were seized.

Most of the illegal liquor was recovered from Saharanpur, Lakhimpur Kheri and Jhansi. Along with strict enforcement, the teams were inspecting brick kilns, RO plants, eateries, licensed shops, model shops and wholesale licensees to permanently remove all illegal liquor dens.