E-Paper
16K cases, ₹45.09 crore worth of liquor seized in last 5 years in Pune
Around 3,549 cases were lodged and liquor worth ₹10.27 crore was seized by the Pune unit of the state excise department in 2021-22
As many as 16,000 cases have been lodged and liquor worth ₹45.09 crore has been seized in the last five years from 2018-19 to 2022-23 (November 2023) by the Pune unit of the state excise department. In 2022 alone, the unit confiscated ₹11.70 crore worth of liquor via Pune’s illegal trade, according to officials. As per data released by the Pune unit of the state excise department, nearly 2,456 cases were lodged and liquor worth ₹11.70 crore was seized in 2022-23 alone, which is the highest in the last five years.
State excise department deputy superintendent Yuvraj Shinde said, “Yes, this year we have cracked down on many illegal liquor rackets that are illegally supplying liquor without paying any excise duty.’’ Most of the illegal liquor is supplied from the neighbouring state of Goa as liquor is available there at much cheaper rates, according to Shinde. The offenders purchase liquor in Goa at lower rates and sell it in Maharashtra at much higher prices, thereby making profits. “Considering this modus operandi, we have activated our network and tracked each and every possible suspected activity and busted many rackets,” Shinde said.
Around 3,549 cases were lodged and liquor worth ₹10.27 crore was seized by the Pune unit of the state excise department in 2021-22 whereas about 3,136 cases were lodged and liquor worth ₹8.78 crore was seized by the unit in 2020-21. Nearly 3,526 cases were lodged and liquor worth ₹7.41 crore was confiscated by the Pune unit of the state excise department in 2019-20 while around 3,333 cases were lodged and liquor worth ₹6.93 crore was seized in 2018-19. The Pune excise department has also conducted raids and lodged several cases of illegal production, transportation and sale of liquor.
