Telangana Excise dept steps up NDPL, Drug crackdown; Over 3,000 cases booked in two-month drive

The Telangana Prohibition and Excise Department registered 3,086 cases, arrested 2,707 persons and seized 487 vehicles during July and August as part of enforcement operations against NDPL, illicit liquor and narcotics.

Hyderabad: The Prohibition and Excise Department officials registered 3,086 cases, arrested 2,707 people and seized 487 vehicles across the State during July and August in enforcement operations targeting non-duty-paid liquor (NDPL), illicitly distilled liquor and narcotic substances.

Officials also seized 872 kg of ganja worth around Rs 4 crore, more than 11,000 litres of illicitly distilled liquor and 48,000 kg of jaggery during the two-month period.

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Checks on private buses and trains entering Telangana led to the seizure of around 2,558 NDPL liquor bottles valued at nearly Rs 50 lakh.

Against this backdrop, the department has ordered a major crackdown on NDPL and drugs in the Core Urban Region (CURE), covering Hyderabad, Cyberabad and Malkajgiri commissionerates.

The Prohibition and Excise Department officials had reviewed excise-related offences reported during CURE’s first three months and directed field officials to intensify enforcement against NDPL and offences under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.

Authorities said NDPL entering Telangana through road, rail and air routes has emerged as a key challenge. Liquor from Goa, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Delhi and Haryana has been detected in different seizures.

The officials were also directed to closely monitor excise fee installments payable by bars and liquor shops. Officials said the focus will not only be on seizures but also on tracing the sources of contraband, identifying transporters and detecting distribution networks operating across the CURE region.