With smugglers trying to bring liquor both foreign and Indian into the State through different ways, Special Enforcement Bureau (SEB) officials are trying to break the chain.
SEB, created exclusively to curb liquor, sand and ganja smuggling, stepped up vigil at the inter-State borders in coordination with police and Prohibition and Excise (P&E) personnel.
It is noticed that smugglers are bringing stocks from Telangana, Karnataka and other States by various means of transport such as trucks, boats, four-wheelers, autorickshaws and even two-wheelers by cleverly concealing the stocks to evade detection. There have been instances of bottles being buried under loads of foodgrain and fruits.
Acting on tip-off, a team led by Kurnool Additional Superintendent of Police (SEB, ASP) Gautami intercepted a vehicle coming from a flower market in Hyderabad and seized 1,001 liquor bottles, SEB Commissioner Vineet Brijlal said.
In Guntur Rural police limits, SEB and police teams led by ASP Arif Hafeez intercepted three mini- trucks and seized 2,332 bottles concealed under watermelons.
A lorry coming from Karnataka carrying empty gunny bags was stopped on the border and 543 liquor bottles were seized. In another raid, police seized 284 bottles of Non-Duty Paid Liquor (NDPL) of Telangana, Mr. Vineej Brijlal said.
“If we are achieving major breakthroughs in breaking the network, it is because of the unswerving commitment of the ASPs concerned and the cooperation extended by district SPs,” he said.
The Macherla SEB officials seized 1,056 liquor bottles being smuggled in a boat through the Krishna River from Telangana. The smugglers and the boatman were taken into custody.
In Vijayawada Police Commissionerate limits, ASP M. Sathi Babu and the police teams have seized 12,259 liquor bottles from 538 smugglers and booked 307 cases in the last 15 days. SEB seized 229 bikes, 44 cars and five autorickshaws for illegally transporting liquor, the SEB Commissioner said.
Krishna district SEB ASP Vakul Jindal, along with Nuzvid DSP B. Srinivasulu conducted raids on Chinna Thanda and Tatakunta Thanda and destroyed huge quantity of arrack hidden in the ground.
Informant network
“Instructions have been given to the ASP to step up informant network, check all vehicles and keep a tab on boat operations in rivers and canals to stop illegal transportation of liquor,” Mr. Vineet Brijlal, who is also the Inspector General of Police, said.
SEB teams conducted raids on several villages and destroyed ID liquor manufacturing units across the State.