Sleuths of the Mira Bhayandar-Vasai Virar (MBVV) police commissionerate stumbled upon a liquor brewing unit (haath-bhatti) while looking for a bootlegger in the coastal area of Uttan on Thursday.
Acting on a tip-off about spurious liquor being sold behind a house in Uttan, a patrolling unit from the coastal police station swooped down on the place and found the information to be true.
A person identified as Anthony D’souza (59) was found to be selling the spurious liquor. While checking the premises the police team was surprised to find raw ingredients including fermented jaggery wash and equipment which are used to manufacture the liquor. The police destroyed the equipment and took the accused into custody.
The police action has yet again exposed the blind eye turned by the excise officials towards the illegal activities of the notorious liquor mafia who have been brazenly registering their presence in the rural areas of Bhayandar (west) and coastal belt of Uttan.
Notably, the excise department is headed by the district collector. Meanwhile, a case under section 65 (e) and (f) for using, keeping or having in possession any materials, still utensils, implements or apparatus for the purpose of manufacturing any intoxicant against the accused who has been remanded to custody. Further investigations were underway.
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