Liquor flooding state as election approaches
seized Liquor worth Rs.3 crores destroyed
Source: Hueiyen News Service

Imphal, January 03 2012: The Special Enforcement Team of the Excise Department, which has been formed under instruction from Election Commission of India, has seized Indian made foreign liquor (IMFL) worth around Rs 3 crores and burnt it at its office complex at Lamphelpat today.

Speaking to reporters on the sideline of destroying the seizure, Assistant Commissioner of Excise Department Keisham Joykumar informed that the Special Enforcement Team along with a team from media searched the shop of one Chandu at Gandhi Avenue and recovered 42 cases and 9 bottles of IMFL and foreign liquors worth around Rs 3 crores.

The seized liquors were deposited in a separate room of the Excise Department.

He further stated that the Special Enforcement Team, which was formed on December 4, started its operation since December 6.Since then the team has seized in all 6315 litres of local made liquor from Imphal East and West.

Informing during the period from April to September, 2011, 4775 litres of local made liquor and 1687 cases of IMFL were seized, the Excise Officer pointed out that there is a great difference in the quantity of seizure made during April to September last year and quantity seized/destroyed today.

The quantity seized and destroyed today far exceeded any other previous records.

This shows that the quantity of liquor found in the state particularly in Imphal area has increased tremendously with election approaching, he added.

He observed that the quantity of liquor smuggled into the state may be considerably more if there can be proper monitoring of all the districts.

Since these Indian made foreign liquors are being transported from outside the state, all Excise posts have been kept on high alert.

The Department is aware of the fact that Indian made foreign liquors are also distributed to the public from the canteen of IRB, MR and AR.

As such the department has made all necessary arrangements to bring out the fact with solid proof.

The department will also look into the matter of liquor being sold in some hotels to please their customers.

Apart from checking the sale of liquor in the state, the department is also under compulsion to incur yearly revenue of Rs 12.11 crores to the state government, the Assistant Commissioner added.

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