The excise department of Manipur seized country liquors including local brew liquor as well as Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) amounting to Rs 23,74,965 since the announcement of election dates in the state.
According to senior officials of the state excise department, the enforcement agencies seized more than 5461.875 litres of country liquor, 2622.890 litres of IMFL and 850.165 litres of beer worth Rs 23,74,965 since the enforcement on code of conduct of the elections.
The agency officials have arrested 325 individuals and registered 325 cases after conducting 425 raids in the Imphal West, Imphal East districts including some areas under Bishnupur and Thoubal districrts of the state.
Deputy superintendent of Excise Th Imo speaking to reporters at the state excise department headquarters in Imphal said that a fine of Rs 4,09,950 was imposed on the accused.
The officer also informed that the department has also set up 10 check posts for intensive vigil over inter-state and inter-district movement of vehicles for monitoring the illegal transportation of liquor.
In order to conduct the upcoming Lok Sabha polls on April 11 and 18 in a free and fair manner, as per ECI instructions, the excise department has sought inter-state coordination among the excise commissioners of neighbouring states and requested to extend support to check the state borders with Manipur to prevent the movement and entry of illicit liquor into the state of Manipur.
Eleven district level nodal officers and one state nodal officer have been appointed and deployed besides 13 enforcement teams to deployed one in each district and two at Excise department headquarters at Lamphel in Imphal.
The seized liquors were burnt and destroyed following all official formalities.
The senior excise officer also informed that the dry day was also declared on the two polling days (April 11 and April 18).