EXCISE DEPARTMENT SEIZES 80,000 LITRES OF ENA IN OVERNIGHT RAIDS: HARPAL CHEEMA

Seized consignment from VRV Hospitality in Gurdaspur was diverted for illicit liquor, fake sanitizers, and perfume, violating excise laws.

- TARUNI GANDHI

In one of the biggest operations against the illegal liquor trade in recent years, the Punjab Excise Department has seized nearly 80,000 litres of Extra Neutral Alcohol (ENA) from two tankers intercepted near a roadside dhaba in Kot Shamir, Bathinda. Acting on specific intelligence inputs, the department launched overnight raids on Thursday, leading to the arrest of eight accused, including individuals from Bathinda, Uttar Pradesh, and Nepal, and the impounding of two Gujarat-registered tankers, two Toyota Etios cars, and one Innova SUV.

The seized consignment, originating from VRV Hospitality Pvt Ltd in Dinanagar, Gurdaspur, was allegedly being diverted for use in illicit liquor manufacturing, production of spurious sanitizers, and perfume blending, a gross violation of the excise and chemical transport norms.

Addressing a press conference on Friday, Punjab Excise and Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema said, "Let this be a final warning: those engaged in manufacturing or selling illegal liquor must shut down their operations or leave Punjab. We are coming after every single one of them," Cheema warned.