Telangana excise steps up crackdown on non-duty-paid liquor smuggling

Dundigal police have booked three minor boys under the POCSO Act for allegedly sexually assaulting two fellow students at a State-run residential school in Bowrampet. The investigation is underway, with police recording statements and coordinating with child welfare authorities.

Hyderabad: The smuggling of non-duty-paid liquor (NDPL) into Telangana from neighbouring and distant states continues to pose a major challenge for the Prohibition and Excise Department, despite intensified enforcement and the deployment of special teams to curb the illegal trade.

According to Excise Department officials, NDPL is being smuggled into the State from Karnataka, Goa, Maharashtra, Delhi and Haryana through multiple routes, including road, rail and air.

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“The illicit liquor is brought into Telangana to evade the State’s excise duty and is later sold in the black market, particularly in Hyderabad and other urban centres, at prices lower than those of legally sold liquor,” an official said.

The price difference between Telangana and neighbouring states, particularly Goa, where liquor is significantly cheaper, has become the biggest attraction for organised smuggling networks. Officials said that a recent crackdown revealed that several Hyderabad-based liquor syndicates have established supply chains in other states to procure and transport alcohol into Telangana.

Regular checks are conducted at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, Shamshabad, to detect passengers smuggling NDPL into the city from Goa and Delhi. Frequent inspections are also carried out on trains and buses arriving from Goa and other states.

The department has strengthened surveillance along interstate borders, intensified vehicle inspections, and stepped up checks at railway stations and the airport. “Dedicated enforcement teams regularly intercept consignments concealed in private vehicles, passenger luggage, commercial goods and public transport buses. Smugglers often transport liquor in small quantities to avoid suspicion, while some attempt to disguise the consignments as personal belongings or ordinary cargo,” the official explained.

Officials of the Prohibition and Excise Department admitted that the illegal trade remains lucrative because of its high profit margins. “Intelligence gathering has been strengthened to identify organised syndicates operating across state borders,” the official added.

The department has warned that vehicles used to transport NDPL are liable to be confiscated, while those involved in the smuggling and illegal sale of liquor will face stringent legal action.