Excise dept on high alert prior to Holi

Noida:

Noida:

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With Holi on Tuesday being a dry day, the Gautam Budh Nagar excise department is on a high alert to check the supply of illicit liquor and smuggling of alcohol from any neighbouring states.

Officials of the department are continuously carrying out raids at establishments suspected to be distributing smuggled liquor. While border areas were checked on Sunday, the department checked shops on Monday.

“Raids were carried out in Hoshiyarpur, sector 51, Sarfabad, Yakubpur, Jewar Khadar, etc. We are watching the Jewar toll and the eastern peripheral expressway for any big consignments that might come to this area illegally,” district excise officer, RB Singh, said.

He said a watch was being kept at areas bordering with Delhi and Haryana, such as Wazidpur or sector 14A, where suspicious vehicles were being checked.

“We want to ensure shops selling alcohol are doing so in the right manner and do not increase prices or sell smuggled liquor,” Singh said.

Following a tip-off, the excise department found 218 bottles of both domestic and foreign liquor at a house in Sarfabad. The alcohol was smuggled from Haryana and Arunachal Pradesh. The liquor was seized by the excise department and a case was registered at the sector 49 police station.

“The couple in whose house the alcohol was found is absconding at the moment. They have been booked under relevant sections of the Excise Act and a search is on for them,” said Dharmendra Kumar Sharma, station house officer, sector 49 police station.

Officials said Sarfabad has been a sensitive area and is on their radar.

“To prevent the smuggling of illicit liquor, we checked vehicles at Beel Akbarpur cut in Greater Noida. We will continue this operation over the next couple of days. Strict action will be taken against any violators,” said Singh.