Bhubaneswar: A staggering 1,274 persons have been arrested and a record 2,209 cases made out by the Excise department during the statewide crackdown against illicit country liquor and fermented brew manufacturers across the state in the last one week following the hooch tragedy at Chikiti in Ganjam district August 19.
A senior Excise official told Orissa POST Monday that a total of 1,15,822 litres of illicit country liquor and 1.02,237 kg fermented brew have been seized during the raids at manufacturing dens by various Excise units in the state. The retail price of the seized contraband has been estimated to be of over Rs 20 crore. The officials also seized 132 vehicles used in the transportation of the illicit liquor consignments, leading to the arrest of 70 vehicle owners. “They are being questioned to ascertain if they, too, were part of the illicit liquor syndicates,” the official said. Only Monday, the department arrested 125 persons from various parts of the state and registered 341 offences in connection with the recovery of 21,341 litres of illicit spirits and 2,28,762 kg of fermented brew. The raids, carried out on the instruction of Excise Commissioner Narsingha Bhol, also resulted in the seizure of 20 vehicles and arrest of 10 of their owners, the official said adding that all the accused have been forwarded to courts.
On Monday, Excise sleuths from Khurda division intercepted a van in Sansireipur area and recovered 1,500 litres of illicit country liquor. The official said the accused in the case, Prakash Majhi, was arrested and forwarded to court. Similarly, 650 litres of illicit spirit was recovered from a car in Dhenkanal district. Meanwhile, the official said that during the multiple raids carried out in and around Bhubaneswar, including Salia Sahi, 578 litres of illicit spirit and 5,829 kg of fermented brew had been recovered. Three persons were arrested in that connection. “We are going to intensify the drive in the coming days,” the official said.
