ILLICIT LIQUOR SEIZED FROM GOVT VENDS

: Illicit liquor is being seized during the 15-day special enforcement drive launched after the Aligarh hooch tragedy in which over 80 lives have been lost so far. In Kannauj, joint raids by excise and police department teams unearthed stocks of illicit liquor, fake QR codes from a government-licensed country-liquor vend. The licence of the shop has been cancelled.

During road checking in Hardoi district, 1,200 bottles of tincture was seized from a jeep after which an FIR has been registered at Baghauli police station, officials said.

On Tuesday, during inspection of two liquor vends in Mirzapur district, illicit liquor and material used to produce it was recovered. “Cases were registered against the licensees and salesmen and licences of the vends have been suspended,” additional chief secretary, excise, Sanjay Bhoosreddy said.

In areas under Aligarh’s Harduaganj police station, 40,600 litres of spirit/chemical stored in 203 drums was seized. In another raid, 1,000 litres of rectified spirit, 1,481 litres of illicit country liquor, large numbers of fake wrappers, QR codes and other equipment for manufacturing illicit liquor were recovered. Three persons were arrested and an FIR registered at Akrabad police station.