VIJAYAWADA: Despite partial curfew restrictions in place in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana and increasing vigil at all check-posts, illegal transportation and smuggling of Non-Duty Paid Liquor (NDPL) seems to be continuing unabated for the past few months. More than 6,000 cases were filed against illegal liquor smuggling, three lakh bottles of NDPL worth around Rs 7 crore and around 3,500 vehicles were seized this year after the formation of SEB under the amended Prohibition and Excise Act, which is now in force in Andhra Pradesh as a part of government’s policy towards total alcohol prohibition.
The Krishna police have seized around 2,400 bottles of liquor from other States transported from Telangana to sell them in the black market at two places on Saturday. In the first incident, Hanuman Junction police raided a house and seized 838 bottles of NDPL from a person and arrested him. The police have raided the house followingff a tip-off that the accused was procuring liquor from Telangana via G Kondur and selling the same at higher prices.
In the second incident, Nuzvid SEB police intercepted a hen-carrying van at Nekkalam-Gollagudem crossroad and found 1,776 NDPL bottles being smuggled into the State upon inspection. To curb illegal transportation of liquor and sand in the State, the government has set up the Special Enforcement Bureau (Liqour and Sand) to function as an autonomous body and take strict measures against these crimes in May last year.
Krishna district SEB ASP Vakul Jindal explained arrangements such as security and placed informers have been made on all interstate and intrastate borders and check-points to contain such activities. “Smuggling is rampant in Chandarlapadu, Tiruvuru, Gampalagudem, Mylavaram, A Konduru, Jaggaiahpet and Nandigama as they are sharing borders with Telangana and the public indulging in illegal activities to make money out of it by selling them at exorbitant prices,” he said. He said an auction of the liquor and vehicles seized will be notified to earn revenue and invoke the PD Act on those who commit the same offence more than once.