JALANDHAR
A team from the Excise department carried out a search operation on the banks of the Sutlej River to curb the illicit distillation of liquor and seized a huge quantity of hooch and raw liquor.
The operation was led by the Assistant Commissioner (excise) Jalandhar West Navjeet Singh along with Excise Officer Hemant Sharma, Excise Inspectors Ram Murti, Sahil Ranga, Manjit Singh, Harjit Singh and local police.
During the search, the team covered nearly 25 km alongside the river bank on Jalandhar's side and detected 22000 litters of lahann(raw liquor) in 12 plastic tarpaulins which were later destroyed outside the river bank as unclaimed. Further, the team also seized 200 litters of illicit liquor, six big iron drums, and four utensils, and the same was destroyed on the spot as unclaimed.
The spokesperson said that the crackdown against illicit liquor and distillation would be intensified in the coming days and strict action would be initiated against those found indulged in this malpractice.
An awareness campaign was also launched in the Jalandhar West range by the team against illicit liquor. Various houses situated on the banks of the Sutlej area in Nakodar, Nurmahal, and Phillaur areas were visited, and sensitized the people living in these areas were about the harmful effects of illicit liquor.