Bhograi: Even as some pockets of Balasore have emerged as hubs of drug peddling, hooch and spurious liquor has been flooding the coastal areas like Bhograi, Udaypur despite intermittent raids by police and excise officials, a report said.
Illegal liquor trade has been proliferating fast in Udaypur, Talsari Chandaneswar, Kirtania, Shankhari, Sraddhapur, Jayrampur, Neguan, Deulahata and Bhograi block area.
Hooch and liquor is being sold openly even in small pan shops and chicken centres amid allegations that such illegal liquor traders are on the rise due to an unholy nexus between some police and excise officials and some liquor mafia.
The menace of tipplers has disturbed the harmony in villages in the absence of concrete action from the police and excise officials, locals lamented.
It is learnt that hooch is being supplied here from bordering areas like Midnapore, Digha, Deulihat, Mirgoda in West Bengal.
Locals alleged that if anyone files a complaint against liquor mafias, the complainant is threatened with murder. In view of the threats, people hardly muster courage to inform excise officials about liquor mafia in the area.
Some conscious citizens expressed concern over the way the hooch and counterfeit liquor trade has been spreading in the coastal pockets, it is likely to spell another liquor tragedy in future.
In the past, many people have fallen victim to hooch in Bhograi area.
High dose of spirits and harmful chemicals are laced in country and counterfeit foreign liquor so as to give extra kick to the tipplers, it is said.
Another serious allegation is that sometimes police and excise officials catch liquor traders but set them free in exchange for some cuts.
Raids are being conducted against liquor traders, but the illegal business still refuses to come down,
locals added.
Excise officials raided Bhograi, Jaleswar, Raibania areas Thursday and arrested seven liquor traders. Three of them were women.
Locals have demanded stern action against the bootleggers to save lives of people.