1,200 boxes of illegal liquor seized in Delhi, 9 arrested

New Delhi, Feb 16 (IANS) Delhi Police's Anti Corruption Branch (ACB) seized 1,200 boxes of illegal liquor bottles and arrested nine people including two excise officials, an official said Monday.

Additional Commissioner of Police, ACB, P. C. Hota said surveillance and discreet enquiry by their teams revealed that the liquor stock for sale in the state and destined for the bonded warehouses were off-loaded into several smaller goods vehicles without actually going into bonded warehouses as per the laid down procedure.

The ACB team secretly followed these vehicles and intercepted them at various points and warehouses, he said, adding some of these were intercepted after they had delivered their stock in various liquor outlets in trans-Yamuna area.

"During this process, approximately 1,200 boxes containing liquor bottles have been seized," Hota said.

Nine people including two excise officials of Delhi were arrested Sunday.A

He further added that vehicles containing liquor on inspection could not produce the approved transport permit and it was also revealed that the stocks were delivered in the retail outlets without proper recording and documentation of stock supply.

The action followed receipt of secret information about huge loss being caused to the government exchequer due to excise duty and VAT evasion in supply and sale of Indian-Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) and foreign liquor due to collusion between distillers, managers of bonded warehouses, and owners of liquor vends with active connivance of the officials of Delhi excise department.

The ACB, in its report, said that a prima facia nexus of excise officials with the owners and managers of bonded warehouses and liquor vends have caused a huge revenue loss to the government.

A case was registered Feb 12 under various sections against some unknown accused.