In yet another seizure which exposes the inefficiency and lack of control of by local inspectors and senior officials attached to the Thane district’s excise department, a special team from the Mira Bhayanadar-Vasai Virar (MBVV) police led by DCP (Zone I) Amit Kale unearthed a godown which was illegally used to stock a huge quantity of country liquor (CL) in Uttan.
Acting on a specific tip-off, the police team swooped down on two tenements located in the Bhatte-Bunder area of Uttan near Bhayandar on Monday night. The police found 3,725 bottles (90 ml each) of country-made brands including GM Santra and DilBahar Saunf. The value of the seized liquor consignment has been ascertained at Rs. 1,11,750.
While the owner of the tenements identified as Chandrakant Patil was booked under section 65 E of the Bombay Prohibition Act 1949, the actual supplier of the country made liquor is yet to be identified. While the primary reason for this practice of unregulated trading is said to be aimed at causing revenue losses to the state exchequer, excise officers have been maintaining that there was no question of tax evasion as all applicable duties are levied at source.
However, the spate of raids and seizures by the MBVV police has highlighted the apathy of the district excise department, Thane towards keeping a check on the unregulated flow of booze in the twin-city. Further investigations are being carried out by officials attached to the Uttan coastal police station.
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