Pre-Festival Crackdown: Fermented Liquor Worth Rs 25 Lakh Seized In Odisha’s Balasore

Balasore: More than 40,000 litres of fermented liquor, locally known as ‘poch’, was seized during a joint raid carried out by police and Excise officials in Odisha’s Balasore district on Tuesday, ahead of Durga Puja festival.

According to sources, illegal country liquor manufacturing units have been operating in Puruna Balasore area for quite some time. Acting on a specific information, the joint raid was conducted during which illegally fermented liquor was found hidden in a pond and beneath the ground.

Two platoons of police force, two platoons of home guards and officials of Excise and Forest departments took part in the joint operation conducted ahead of the festive season, Balasore Superintendent of Police Sagarika Nath said.

Apart from 40,000 litres of poch (fermented liquor), the joint team seized 500 litres of manufactured country liquor and many equipment and materials used for liquor making, she said.

The estimated market value of the seized fermented and manufactured country liquor is more than Rs 25 lakh, the SP said.

The country liquor was hidden in a pond and the illegal manufacturers had planned to sell it in the local market during the festive season, police said.

The fermented liquor was buried in the pond covered with weeds as the road leading to the place was narrow.