SEB cracks whip on liquor smugglers during election time

Rajat Bhargava, Special Chief Secretary to Government (Excise), Revenue Department. | Photo Credit: File Photo

The Special Enforcement Bureau (SEB) has seized a whopping 12,90,950 litres of illicit liquor worth ₹84.16 crore in the State since December 26, 2023, in the run-up to the elections, compared to the 1,03,775 litres of liquor worth ₹6 crore during the 2019 elections. 

Special Chief Secretary to Government (Excise), Revenue Department, Rajat Bhargava, informed in a press release on Monday here that under preventive measures, 965 persons have been bound over under 109 CrPC, 14,731 persons under 110 CrPC from December 26, 2023 till date.

Since the formation of SEB in 2020, 146 habitual offenders and 28 kingpins related to the illicit liquor trade have been detained under the PD Act.

On the other hand, 39,466 cases have been booked related to illicit liquor involving the arrest of 38,621 persons with the monetary value of seizures of ₹46.13 crore

492 cases have been booked relating to Non-Duty Paid Liquor Seizures (NDPS) involving the arrest of 1589 persons with the monetary value of seizures of ₹36.40 crore

Control Room

If any suspicious activities related to liquor sales arise, the public is requested to inform the SEB, which functions round-the-clock (control room number: 9491030853) at the Office of the Commissioner in Mangalagiri. Additionally, for prohibition excise-related issues, individuals can reach out to the control room (9154106528 or 8121909444) at the Office of Commissioner of Prohibition and Excise, Vijayawada.  

Considering the upcoming 2024 elections, SEB is particularly focused on curbing the flow of non-duty paid liquor (NDPL) from Karnataka, Telangana, and Goa. The SEB has a network of 29 checkposts strategically located at inter-State borders. Additionally, there are 15 Border Mobile Patrolling Parties functioning on the borders of Andhra Pradesh.  

Working closely with the Prohibition & Excise Department and APSBCL, SEB gathers intelligence input and employs various strategies tailored to different regions to prevent the illegal movement of liquor, including cross-border smuggling, storage, and distribution of duty-paid, non-duty-paid, or spurious liquor.