Now, drone cameras keeping eye on illicit liquor in UP

After the dept’s special drive ended on Jan 4, 1.20 lakh litres of illicit liquor was seized and 1,398 arrests made. In all, 4,588 cases were registered against the accused, says excise commissioner

LUCKNOW The excise department has deployed drone cameras to keep tabs on manufacture, supply and movement of illicit liquor. Such vigil is being carried out in suspect areas, mostly in and around riverine areas or near brick kilns in open fields in Gorakhpur, Kushinagar and Gonda, officials said on Monday.

Vigil is being carried out in suspect areas, mostly in and around riverine areas or near brick kilns in open fields in Gorakhpur, Kushinagar and Gonda, officials said. (Pic for representation)

After the excise department’s special drive to crack down on illicit liquor trade ended on January 4, 1.20 lakh litres of illicit liquor was seized and 1,398 arrests made. In all, 4,588 cases were registered against the accused, said excise commissioner Senthil Pandian C.

“We encourage people to report sale/manufacture of illicit liquor on toll- free number 14405 and WhatsApp number 9454466019, both of which are operational 24x7,” he said.

During the drive, special teams comprising revenue, police and excise officials were set up to put an effective curb on illicit liquor trade. Cooperation from GST, transport departments and the Railways was also sought for better coordination, he added.

“We kept special vigil on trains that were coming into the state from Punjab and Haryana,” the excise commissioner said. Due to price differences, there were many instances of liquor smuggling into UP from states like Haryana, excise officials said.

In Bhadohi, joint teams of the excise department and the police detected 805 cartons of foreign liquor that was being transported illegally in a container. Excise officials said four people arrested from the spot later revealed that the liquor was being transported from Punjab to Jharkhand.

In Sonbhadra, 690 cartons of foreign liquor bearing ‘for sale in Punjab’ labels were seized and four accused were arrested. In Lucknow, 484 cartons of liquor made in Punjab were seized and two accused arrested. Similar seizures and arrests were made in Mathura, Aligarh and other places too.