The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Liquor smugglers, bootleggers facing the heat

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Tuesday, Jun 24, 2008
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Liquor smugglers, bootleggers facing the heat

M. Raghuram

Excise Department steps up surveillance along State’s borders

Raids being conducted to unearth illicit liquor
Liquor dealers seek uniform duty structure in South

BANGALORE: After the hooch tragedy in May, the Excise Department has stepped up surveillance, especially along the State’s borders, to prevent liquor from being smuggled across the border.

In raids conducted all over the State, the department has confiscated raw material, illicit liquor and vehicles and arrested smugglers. The Excise Enforcement and Lottery Prohibition wing of the State police has also been helping in controlling the flow of illicit liquor.

According to S.K. Venugopal, Inspector-General of Police of the wing, illicit liquor is being seized in places that were never a problem before. They include areas in Mysore, Chitradurga, Shimoga, Bijapur, Uttara Kannada, Udupi and Dakshina Kannada districts and various border areas where smuggled liquor is sold.

Recent raids conducted by the wing in Ankola in Uttara Kannada district revealed that liquor smuggling is common in that part of the State. The squads on duty there have their hands full in trying to control liquor smuggling.

The Excise Department has also been concentrating on this area. According to Additional Commissioner of Excise (Intelligence) Erappa, “In one particular case, the Excise Department arrested Neil Monteiro of Goa, who has allegedly been smuggling liquor between the States for a long time.” Following his arrest, Peter, from Caranzalem in Goa, also alleged to be a smuggler, surrendered before the Excise Department in Bangalore.

The department is now thinking of subjecting Monteiro to narco-analysis, which will help the police and the department break the smuggling chain,” he said.

“Liquor smuggling along the Goa-Karnataka route has been going on for a long time. Smuggling generally takes place from a low duty area to a high duty area. Goa has been a low duty area for many historical reasons including the fact that it was a Union Territory for a long time and its economy is driven by tourism,” he said.

Karnataka State Wine Merchant’s Association president Govindaraj Hegde said that with the Excise Department sealing off the smuggling routes, sales of legal Indian-made liquor (IML) had gone up from 14.5 lakh boxes in May 2007 to 34 lakh boxes in May 2008. At least 35 per cent of the increase was due to the crackdown on smuggling while rest was due to the ban on arrack.

Uniform duty sought

“The association has represented to the Government to talk to the other southern States to have a uniform duty structure, which will not only eradicate smuggling but will also make IML more affordable,” he said.

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