Bhubaneswar, April 22: Amidst massive crackdown against contraband ahead of the polls, volume of illicit liquor seizure by security and other agencies has shown a big jump.
Ahead of general elections, illicit liquor smuggling to Odisha from neighbouring states has increased.
Rourkela excise officials seized duplicate India Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) worth over Rs 4 lakh during raid in Bonaigarh area in Sundargarh district last week and arrested one person in this connection.
During interrogation bootlegger Balabhadar Patra said the duplicate spirits used in liquor manufacturing is being smuggled from Manoharpur in Jharkhand, which is just 50 km distance from Rourkela city. Bootleggers are using forest route to avoid border checking by different agencies.
Dream Girl and Night Girl brand liquors of Arunachal Pradesh are being smuggled to Rourkela and on high demand.
Former excise commissioner Sudarshan Nayak said illicit liquor smuggling to Odisha from Jharkhand and Chhatisgarh is rampant after Bihar government imposed a ban on liquor.
Excise department said the seizure of illicit liquor from March to April so far is much higher than normal times. Illicit liquor manufacturing has witnessed a rise.
Excise department has seized large quantity of illicit liquor from Koraput, Rayagada, Cuttack, Balasore, Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Sundargarh, Sambalpur and Bargarh districts this month.
Around 484 check-posts have been set-up in Odisha along with 120 check-posts in bordering areas.
The state and central agencies have seized Rs 2.07 crore unaccounted cash, illicit liquor worth Rs 18.19 crore, gold of Rs 7.17 crore and other articles amounting to Rs 47.44 crore.
