State excise steps up drive to curb illegal flow of liquor

Thane: Ahead of New Year celebrations, the state excise department has intensified the drive to curb the illegal trafficking of cheap liquor from the bordering states of the Thane district.
Instructions have been issued to all its field officers to keep a hawk-eye vigil to crackdown on the illicit brew manufactured and those transporting it inside the state through the porous spots of the bordering areas.
A senior state excise officer informed that the demand for liquor sale increase to fourfold in the last week of December as revelers celebrate the festive season with friends and booze.
“Most tipplers are lured by the lower prices of the liquor of high end brands sold illegally in the union nearby states Goa, or Diu Daman where the rate is much cheaper than here. Several check posts have been erected on the border areas and the flying squad is on the move to track the smugglers,” Arjun Ohol, the deputy divisional commissioner told TOI.
The officer added that squads have been strictly told to take charge in the parts of their jurisdiction viz Thane city, Navi Mumbai, Thane rural, Raigad. Apart from the border areas of Diu-Daman which are prone for bringing in the smuggled liquor. Thus, check posts have been Jhai, Amgaon, Udhava and Maltalasari of the border area.
The top brass of the department has also asked its sleuths to identify spots where spurious liquor is manufactured at Hathbhattis and subsequently raid such spots and destroy the brew.
Ohol informed, “Our officers are continuously on the move hunting for culprits behind illegal liquor number of raids are carried across the jurisdiction and huge haul has been caught however the clear picture will arise once the festive season is over.”
The officer has warned the citizens to refrain from procuring cheap priced liquor from the other states as the excise officials are told to randomly check the vehicles on road. “Most of the vehicles are checked at the toll naka’s as a few minutes are enough to catch the culprits bringing in the liquor,” Ohol added.