Following the direction of Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat to put a check on illegal sale of liquor smuggled from neighbouring states, the state police claims to have undertaken a week-long drive against against varied illegalities in the liquor business in various parts of the state. Taking cognisance of the anomalies, the state director general of police BS Sidhu said that he had directed the district police officers to conduct drives smuggling and illegal sale of liquor in their respective districts for a week.
In three days of the drive between February 23 and 25, large quantity of smuggled liquor was seized by the police and number of bootleggers were apprehended with a total of 99 cases being lodged against bootlegging under the Excise Act and 101 smugglers being arrested.
In the area within Garhwal range, a total of 53 such cases were registered under the Excise Act and 54 persons were arrested for bootlegging while 46 cases were lodged and 47 persons arrested for bootlegging in the Kumaon range.
A total of 1199 litre of hooch, 1035 quarter bottles, 52 bottles and 172 pouches of country made liquor were seized. Additionally, the Indian made foreign liquor seizures consisted of 340 quarter bottles, 400 bottles and 24 cans of beer were seized so far in the drive.