The Northern Division Excise Intelligence and Enforcement Bureau busted an illegal foreign liquor manufacturing unit operating undetected for two years.
The raid took place in Lluaram village under the Chita Pedi Gram Panchayat in Nuagaon block, located near the Odisha-Jharkhand border.
Authorities seized over 460,000 litres of duplicate foreign liquor spanning various popular brands, with an estimated market value exceeding Rs 20 lakh. The prime accused, identified as Bisweswar Jojo, was arrested at the scene. Investigators revealed that Jojo collaborated with individuals from neighbouring Jharkhand to manufacture counterfeit alcohol, supplying it to government wine shops, dhabas, and hotels across states like Arunachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Goa, and Jharkhand.
Local Police Under Scanner
The successful raid by the Excise Department has triggered widespread public outrage and intense scrutiny directed at the local Bisra police station. Residents and civil groups are openly questioning how such a large-scale, long-running illicit enterprise could operate right under the nose of local law enforcement without their knowledge.
“If an illegal factory can run smoothly for two years in the area, it raises serious doubts about whether there is active connivance or negligence by the local police,” locals complained.
A Repeating Pattern
This incident is not an isolated one in the region. Past operations by the Excise Department have uncovered similar illicit liquor manufacturing units in Teterekela and Lindra villages within the Nuagaon block. Despite these repeated crackdowns, critics point out that local police often limit their enforcement to small-scale seizures of local mahua liquor while turning a blind eye to larger organised syndicates, leaving citizens to question accountability within the system.
The Excise Department is continuing its probe to trace the wider distribution network and identify any other accomplices involved in the multi-state counterfeit racket.
