45 held in GB Nagar in last one month for smuggling liquor from Delhi

The Gautam Budh Nagar excise department has arrested 45 people who were accused of bringing liquor meant for sale in Delhi only into Uttar Pradesh, since May 1

The Gautam Budh Nagar excise department has arrested 45 people who were accused of bringing liquor meant for sale in Delhi only into Uttar Pradesh, since May 1. The department has also seized 20 vehicles involved in such incidents till June 6.

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According to RB Singh, district excise officer (DEO), the number of arrests has doubled compared to earlier months because of heavy rebates on liquor (up to 30-40%) in Delhi.

“As a result, people from Gautam Budh Nagar prefer to buy liquor from across the border to save money. This has also led to a rise in smuggling of alcohol from Delhi to UP via the Gautam Budh Nagar district,” Singh said.

To check the transportation of liquor from Delhi and other states into the district, the excise department has been conducting intensive checking at Noida-Delhi borders.

“We have deployed three teams at the Sector 14A, Ashok Nagar and Kondli entry points. These points witnessed the highest number of people bringing in liquor. Between May 1 and June 5, as many as 45 people have been arrested and 20 vehicles have been seized. The accused have been booked under sections 60/63/72 of the Excise Act,” DEO Singh said. He further informed that constant checking has resulted in a 5% increase in revenue at wine shops located at the Noida-Delhi border.

“There are around 40 liquor shops in Gautam Budh Nagar located near the Delhi border. These shops reported a 40% dip in revenues in the last one month. Now, following strict checking at the border, the shops have reported a slight increase in revenue,” Singh said. He added that the excise department still has a long way to go in ensuring liquor is not smuggled into the district from Delhi.