Bhubaneswar: Excise department officials seized a huge quantity of country liquor and arrested 19 people during a special operation in Bhubaneswar on Saturday.
During the raid, over 1000 litres of country liquor and 8,500 litres of fermented liquor, locally known as ‘Poch’, were seized from Salia Sahi area of the state capital, sources said.
The joint operation was carried out by Bhubaneswar and Cuttack flying squads on country-made liquor units at Salia Sahi, the major slum in the state capital.
The raid was conducted at the direction of the Khurda Collector and Excise Superintendent.
The crackdown is stated to be a part of a broader strategy to implement a zero-tolerance policy against the illicit liquor trade.
As per the directive from the Excise Department, stringent actions will be taken against not only the individuals directly involved in the sale of illicit liquor but also against consumers. The focus is on deterring both suppliers and consumers through widespread and impactful measures.
