Advertisement
Nizamabad/Telangana: Telangana’s excise department has seized over 14,000 liters of illegal distilled (ID) liquor during the last five days as it intensified checking at the interstate borders in view of the upcoming assembly elections.
After the Election Commission of India (ECI) held a review meeting in Hyderabad on October 5 (Thursday) to review the election preparedness, the Excise Department confiscated 14,227 liters of ID liquor, 1,710 kg of jaggery, 94.8 liters of liquor, 170 kg of ganja and 21 vehicle.
The Excise Officials apprehend two persons and seized 157.39 kg ganja, a Bolero vehicle and a two-wheeler in Nizamabad on October 6 (Friday).
The Election Commission team, during its visit last week, directed all state and central enforcement agencies to act very strictly against the use of money power and stop the flow of liquor, cash, freebies and drugs. The enforcement wing of the excise department is taking special steps to check illegal sale, transportation and stockpiling of liquor.
As part of this, 29,663 suspects have been found by the Enforcement Wing. Officials said that they are also keeping a vigil on 8,362 history sheeters. The Preventive Detention (PD) Act has also been invoked against 14 people.
Officials are holding meetings to keep a strict vigil on the interstate borders. They said that if necessary, non-bailable warrants will be issued to stop the illegal flow of liquor.
Authorities have increased interstate border surveillance, the Excise Department has set up 21 checkposts on inter-state borders for 24/7 checking. Eight checkposts have been set up on the border with Andhra Pradesh. An equal number of checkposts are functioning on the Telangana-Maharashtra border. Officials said they were also undertaking round-the-clock checking at four checkposts with Karnataka. One checkpost has come up on the Telangana-Chhattisgarh border.
CCTV cameras installed at interstate checkposts are linked to the state command and control center for effective surveillance. A total of 89 checkposts have been set up in coordination with police and other enforcement agencies.
The Excise Department has formed special teams to monitor the borders and railway routes.
