The Special Enforcement Bureau (SEB) officials registered 566 cases during a drive against brewing of illicitly distilled (ID) liquor and ganja smuggling in the State last week.
The police arrested 705 persons, seized 3,000 litres of ID liquor, 30,000 litres of fermented jaggery wash, 3,219 kgs of black jaggery and 2,717 litres of non-duty paid liquor (NDPL) during the drive last week.
The personnel of the SEB and the Excise Department conducted raids and registered the cases on charges of brewing ID liquor and peddling ganja, SEB Commissioner Ravi Shankar Ayyanar said on Sunday.
The SEB, following the instructions issued by Director General of Police (DGP) K.V. Rajendranath Reddy, have stepped up vigil along the inter-State borders and checkposts. Surveillance cameras have been installed at vital points.
“We have mapped the villages vulnerable to the illicit trade, habitual offenders involved in brewing an sale of ID liquor, those who play mediators and traders supplying black jaggery stocks to the brewers,” Mr. Ravi Shankar said in a release.
643 persons bound over
During the raids, the SEB officials seized 1,009 kgs of ganja and 64 vehicles that were purportedly used to transport the contraband. As many as 643 persons were bound over and and 16 jaggery traders with alleged links with the ID liquor brewers were identified, the SEB Commissioner said.
“The SEB is responding to the petitions submitted during the ‘Spandana’ programme. Stern action will be taken against the accused and PD Act is being invoked against the ganja and liquor manufacturers in the State,” Mr. Ravi Shankar added.
