Busting an organized module selling smuggled imported scotches without holograms in Amritsar district, Punjab Excise Department on Wednesday seized 2150 cases of illicit liquor.
“Excise Department has once again tightened the noose on persons involved in smuggling and selling non-duty paid liquor in Punjab,” said the state Excise Commissioner Rajat Agarwal.
Giving details, he said that a secret information was received that few persons are involved in selling smuggled and non-duty paid expensive imported brands of scotches and imported beer in Amritsar and adjoining areas evading the excise duties and levies, which caused huge loss to the state exchequer.
Acting on the tip-off immediately, the team of Special Operation Group of Excise Department swung into action and conducted recce of the suspected persons involved in the trade. It came to notice that the accused persons have set up two illegal godowns in Amritsar where huge quantity of expensive imported liquor brands are illegally stored and the accused have stake in liquor business in some groups in Amritsar, said Agarwal.
On the intervening night of December 9 and 10, the teams identified the location of two illegal godowns which were raided, he said adding that the first godown was situated at Dana Mandi road, Bhagtanwala, from where approximately 1397 cases of IMFL, Scotches and Imported Beer were recovered in the raid; while 760 cases of IMFL, Scotches and imported beer were recovered from the raid in another Godown situated at Khairabad road near BB Enclave.
“Sizable quantity of liquor was found without holograms. Liquor smuggled from Chandigarh, having holograms of Chandigarh, was also found from the godowns,” said the Excise Commissioner.
He further pointed that some cases of liquor had the holograms of Punjab State pasted over the Chandigarh holograms, “which shows that the accused even smuggled the liquor from Chandigarh and tried to paste Punjab holograms over it in order to make it look like genuine duty paid liquor of Punjab state. This liquor was allegedly being sold through network of bootleggers or to marriage palaces and bars thereby causing loss to the state exchequer”.
“Multiple teams were called in from other districts to take stock of godowns and thorough checking of recovered stock was done by teams, he said.
Agarwal said that after day long checking and scrutiny of stock at both godowns, case dated December 11, 2021, was registered at Police Station Gate Hakima, Police Commissionerate, Amritsar, and another FIR, dated December 11, 2021, was registered at Police Station Kamboj, Amritsar
Rural.
The Excise Commissioner said that Department’s teams, on December 10, also checked the bars in the nearby areas of illegal godowns. “Similar stock of imported liquor was found in three bars — Club House, Elgin Café, and Bon Adda (all on Airport road, Amritsar),” he said, adding that some stock in the bars was without holograms and some stock of smuggled liquor from Chandigarh was also found in one Bar.
“FIR, dated December 11, 2021, was registered at Airport police Station, Amritsar, for violations of Punjab Excise Act against all the three bars,” he added.
Agarwal said that the Excise Dept will continue to pursue a zero tolerance policy regarding smuggling of liquor or any illegal activity relating to Excise is concerned. “Strict action would be taken as per law and the guilty will not be spared. Entire chain of forward and backward linkages leading to disclosure of the main suppliers and recipients of smuggled liquor is being minutely examined,” he said.
He further said that Excise Department is working in close coordination with Police under Operation Red Rose.
Under Operation Red Rose, for the period from May 17, 2020, to December 11, 2021, 19,784 FIRs have been registered in which 19,689 persons have been arrested, 3,32,693 litres illicit liquor, 8,68,517 litres licit liquor, 21,70,883 kgs of lahan, 900 working stills have
been detected.
The Department of Excise and Taxation has already started toll free no 98759-61126 for receiving complaints from aware citizens. The Department solicits wilful co-operation of the citizens to nip the menace of illegal liquor from the state.