State Excise department seizes illicit liquor worth Rs 21L in Howrah and Darj raids

Kolkata: The West Bengal Excise Department has made a major seizure of illicit liquor and fermented wash in two separate operations conducted in Howrah and Darjeeling districts, officials said on Thursday.

Acting on specific intelligence inputs about the transportation of illicit distilled (ID) liquor from Hooghly to Jagatballavpur, the Howrah Rural wing of the department mounted a watch operation. A four-wheeler, a Honda vehicle without a registration number and matching the description, was spotted near Pantihal railway station and intercepted after a brief chase. Around 400 litres of undiluted ID liquor were recovered from the vehicle. The driver and a helper, both residents of Dhulashimla in Howrah, were arrested.

Based on further leads provided by the arrested persons, an Excise team from the Shyampur circle seized another four-wheeler, a Maruti Omni without a registration number, carrying approximately 450 litres of undiluted ID liquor. Two persons who had arrived to receive the consignment were arrested, while the driver managed to flee under cover of darkness.

Subsequent raids at 26 locations led to the seizure of a total of 984 litres of illicit liquor along with 5,600 litres of fermented wash. The market value of the seized items is estimated at over Rs 21.12 lakh.

In a separate operation in Darjeeling, the department seized 14 cartons of beer, 15 cartons of rum, three cartons of gin and one carton of whisky. The liquor, allegedly brought from Sikkim for illegal sale in the Hills, was recovered from a vehicle that has since been seized. One person was arrested in connection with the case.