It may be wise to check what you’re drinking this New Year’s Eve. What you think is imported liquor, could well be smuggled alcohol from Daman and Silvassa near Gujarat. The Nashik excise department earlier this week seized a consignment of imported liquor bottles of brands like Black Label, Red Label. Blenders Pride and Jack Daniel’s in which it was found that local liquor was being mixed and transported to Mumbai and Nashik.
The state excise department has increased its vigilance, anticipating smuggling of illicit liquor being transported in Maharashtra. The excise department on the Gujarat border has formed flying squads that will conduct surprise checks on vehicles entering from Gujarat into Maharashtra on the eve of New Year.
“We have alerted teams on the Surat-Saputara-Nashik Highway, especially because the highway passes through Silvassa, and it has been observed that consignments of alcohol are being loaded from there after mixing local alcohol in bottles of imported brands. In our exercise this week, we have seized a consignment of 565 boxes on the Surat-Saputara-Nashik Highway where plastic bottles of imported brands were used and after testing it was found that the bottles were filled with alcohol of local brands,” said Prasad Surve, state excise department, Nashik.
On the same lines, the Kolhapur excise department has also increased its vigilance on the Maharashtra-Goa border to check smuggling of liquor into Maharashtra.
“The illegal trade becomes more active before New Year’s eve. Gujarat being a dry state, its excise department becomes extra vigilant and, to avoid the seizure of the liquor, the smugglers start sending it into Maharashtra. For Mumbai, we have erected four check posts on the Dahanu-Golvad road and also it has come to our notice that the liquor smugglers take the help of ‘hawala traders’ who have good network in each and every village and city. Also, Maharashtra has one of the highest excise duties levied in India.
The neighbouring states and Union territories like Daman, Diu and Goa have availability of liquor at cheaper rates and this could be one the reasons why Maharashtra becomes a favourite state for smuggled liquor,” said an excise department official.
However, the state government had last week said that permit rooms, restaurants, lodges and swimming pools will no longer be required to apply for permissions from the police department for its operation. Those involved in these businesses still need to take the required permissions from the state excise department and civic body.
Meanwhile, according to an excise department official it has also asked the railway police to be alert and keep a watch on trains coming from Gujarat and entering Maharashtra.
