Punjab government recovered 17,000 kg of 'lahan', used in making illicit liquor, during searches carried out in the last two days in Dasuya area of Hoshiarpur district, an official statement said here on Friday.
The excise department also seized 320 litres of illicit liquor and equipment used in the distillation of moonshine, it said.
The statement, quoting an official spokesperson of the department, said the teams of excise enforcement, excise officers, and police personnel were deputed to conduct the checking of illicit distillation in Dasuya along the bank of Beas river.
A police dog squad, specially trained to detect 'lahan' was also put into service, he said.
He said the teams covered an area of about 7 km on foot as well as boats in a well-coordinated operation and Terkiana, Kethana, Badaiyan, Dhanoa, Saidpur, and Bhikhowal villages in Dasuya were extensively mapped and searched.
During the searches, it was discovered that the bootleggers had designed a camouflaged modus operandi to carry out the illicit distillation of 'lahan' by digging deep pits, which were not easy to detect visually.
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"The dog squad having three dogs displayed extraordinary training skills by sniffing and detecting the stills (bhattis) and pit holes where illicit liquor was being distilled, he added.
Meanwhile, Punjab's Finance and Excise and Taxation Minister Harpal Singh Cheema said the extensive field checking was being carried out to curb the menace of illicit liquor.
He said that strict action will be taken against those involved in illegal liquor trade.
(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
