Officials destroy 24,211 bottles of liquor
Liquor bottles being destroyed by police and excise department in Machilipatnam on Saturday
Machilipatnam: Krishna district police on Saturday destroyed 24,211 bottles of liquor worth Rs 50 lakh here on Sunday. The liquor was seized by police and excise personnel in various parts of the district. The bottles were crushed with the road rollers at the parade grounds.
The police registered 686 cases against liquor smugglers were transporting liquor for sale at excess prices and seized the bottles. Most of these liquor bottles were manufactured in Telangana and smuggled into district by the traders.
The traders and smugglers purchase the liquor in the border areas of Telangana and bring to Krishna and NTR districts and sell at excess price. The liquor consumers prefer Telangana liquor compared with the liquor available in the state and pay higher price for Telangana liquor.
The excise staff and police seized 24,211 bottles of duty paid and non-duty paid liquor. Besides these bottles, the police also destroyed illicitly distilled liquor worth Rs 40,000 on Saturday.
The police auctioned 119 vehicles, which were seized during the raids from the liquor smugglers. The department earned Rs 41 lakh on the sale of vehicles and will deposit the amount with the state government treasury.
Krishna district superintendent of police P Joshua said the police were trying to create awareness among the people on the ill-effects of the consumption of liquor and how the families would suffere due to liquor menace. He said the police department was conducting Parivarthana-2 (transformation) and creating awareness among the ID liquor brewers to abandon the illegal activity. He said the district police invoked PD ACT against five persons for making and smuggling of ID liquor.
SP Joshua said the district police identified 57 persons involved in brewing ID liquor and provided financial assistance for alternative livelihood and prevent brewing country liquor.
He exhorted the youth not to spoil their lives and career consuming the liquor. He suggested that the students be cautious with arrack and requested them to help the administration to make Krishna district free of ID liquor. Special Enforcement Bureau in-charge additional SP N Venkata Ramanjaneyulu, DSPs, inspectors and other attended the programme.