Imphal: Two people, including a driver, were arrested for allegedly smuggling assorted liquor worth nearly ₹1 crore in Manipur, police said on Thursday.
The Assam Rifles intercepted their vehicle on National Highway (NH)-37 near Awangkhul and seized over 32,000 bottles and cans of liquor, along with the truck.
An officer said the two were handed over to the state police for further investigation.
Also Read: Manipur: Man held while smuggling 72,000 peacock feather shafts to Myanmar
Manipur has been a dry state since the enactment of the Manipur Liquor Prohibition Act in 1991. The law, however, provides exemptions for Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) communities to brew liquor under their traditional customs and customary laws.
In September 2022, the state cabinet partially lifted the prohibition, allowing the sale and consumption of alcohol in district headquarters, hotels with a minimum of 20 beds, and permitting the export of locally brewed country liquor.
Also Read: Manipur Police cracks down on arms smuggling, extortion gangs; six arrested
Despite the prohibition, liquor continues to be widely available in the black market across the state. In the fight against drug abuse, Manipur Police, Assam Rifles and paramilitary forces have stepped up their operations. Authorities said such operations will continue to target both cross-border smuggling networks and insurgent activity in the region.
{{/usCountry}}Despite the prohibition, liquor continues to be widely available in the black market across the state. In the fight against drug abuse, Manipur Police, Assam Rifles and paramilitary forces have stepped up their operations. Authorities said such operations will continue to target both cross-border smuggling networks and insurgent activity in the region.
{{/usCountry}}A joint team of Borobekra Police Station (BBK-PS), the 38th Battalion of Assam Rifles, and A/20 CRPF seized over 15kg of suspected contraband drugs from a passenger engine boat on the Barak River near Chaudharykhal village in Jiribam district on Monday.