CASO operation near Indo-Pak border in Ferozepur, police recovers 30,000 ltr ‘lahan’, 400 bottles of illicit liquor
Ahead of Lok Sabha Elections
CASO operation near Indo-Pak border in Ferozepur, police recovers 30,000 ltr ‘lahan’, 400 bottles of illicit liquor
Ferozepur, May 18, 2024: An intelligence operation under the CASO (Cordon and Search Operation) was conducted by police in the villages along the Sutlej banks ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha 2024 elections in the village, around 30,000 ltr ‘lahan’ and 400 illicit liquor bottles were recovered. The recovered liquor was also reported to have been destroyed on the spot, to avoid its misuse. The tubes, drums, tarpaulins and other utensils, material used for brewing the same, were also seized.
Ahead of the polls, earlier also, the police and excise officials are keeping a close vigil over such activities in the border villages and 21,200 ltr ‘lahan’ was recovered during April 2024.
The operation was carried out under Sukhwinder Singh and Balkar Singh, DSPs, said Randhir Kumar, SP(D).
None of the accused involved in this recovery reported to have been arrested as they fled away from the scene on seeing the raided party. In the majority of the raids, they escape from the scenes leaving behind the extracted illegal liquor.
The increasing sale of illicit liquor, especially near festivals and elections, also affects the business of licensed liquor vends in the region, which hit the revenue of liquor contractors. Alcohol is also a potent tool at the hands of politicians to woo voters not only in the villages but also in the urban areas, as election fodder.
The illicit liquor trade goes unabated in the border villages being cheaper and more affordable as compared to regular whisky for the poor, who continue to consume without bothering for its adverse effect on health which sometimes claim lives also. Such illegal liquor trade in the border villages is also a direct loss to the exchequer.
SP Randhir Kumar said such operations would be a regular feature to curb the menace of brewing illegal liquor and drug trade in the border villages. Our campaign in areas prone to illicit distillation will be further strengthened to create awareness among the masses about possible ill effects of illegal homemade liquor, he added.
