In a major breakthrough against hooch trade, the Excise Department on Thursday raided liquor dens in Mango and seized illicit liquor worth over Rs4 lakh.
The liquor seized from a residential house at Daiguttu in Mango on Thursday was apparently genuine.
The liquor den from where the stock of Indian made foreign liquor (IMFl) was seized would operate round-the-clock and would do a booming business on the dry-day and also after the shut-down of the authorised liquor shops in the city after 10 pm.
The liquor den was running at the house of Debu Prasad by a 32-year-old man Niranjan Kumar alias Niroo. Both Debu and Niroo went missing after the raid.
Assistant commissioner, Excise (Singhbhum Circle) Arvind Kujur said that after receiving a tip off that an illicit liquor den was operating at Daiguttu in Mango since the past two years they acted.
“A team headed by inspector Prem Prakash was formed to raid the liquor den. Though the two accused managed to flee the spot, the raiding team seized a huge stock of liquor belonging to popular brands was found in the house,” said Kujur.
Kujur said the seized liquor include bottles of whisky, rum and beer and the total cost of the confiscated stuff is estimated over Rs4 lakh.
A senior official of the Excise Department who was in the raid said after questioning a staff at the liquor den they came to know that the two accused would purchase the liquor from the retailers in bulk and keep the stock at home.
“As per information gathered, the accused liquor traders would sell the stuff through their agents at a premium. The accused would also make the liquor available at a premium to the buyers past midnight. Hence though the confiscated stock of liquor is genuine, but is illicit as it was being sold from an unauthorised shop at a premium,” the senior official said.
He pointed out that the liquor den at Mango was operating since the past two years and had been doing a booming business in the night.
The sources in excise Department revealed that despite the liquor they seized is genuine, but still they will send the samples of the seized liquor to a Ranchi-based lab for checking up.
“Illicit liquor is a hugely profitable industry where bootleggers pay no taxes and sell enormous quantities of their product. There is a need to restrict extensive abuse of the intoxicant in order to reduce untoward incidents in the society. Moreover, most of the hotels are not adhering to the rules while serving foreign liquor in lavish parties. Continuous raids must be carried against illegal
distilleries especially in view of the forthcoming festive season later this year,” noted a resident of Mango.