The Punjab government on Friday announced the busting of a racket involved in the illegal trade of extra neutral alcohol (ENA), which is used to make illicit liquor.
Approximately 80,000 litres of ENA were seized from two tankers registered in Gujarat, found near a roadside eatery in Kot Shamir, Bathinda, late Thursday night. Authorities arrested eight individuals and confiscated two vehicles, a Toyota Etios and an Innova, at the scene.
Excise Minister Harpal Cheema stated that the seizure was the result of a coordinated operation between the Special Operation Group (Excise) and the Excise Police. He highlighted that under the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government’s strict stance against illegal liquor trade, a total of 1.7 lakh litres of ENA have been seized since 2022.
Speaking at a press conference, Cheema said acting on credible information regarding a gang engaged in unlawful ethanol/spirit pilferage and storage, specialised teams conducted a meticulously planned raid. The operation led officers to Navraj Dhaba in Bathinda, where the gang was caught in the act, transporting ENA in two Gujarat-registered tankers (GJ06BV4926 and GJ06BV7626), each carrying 40,000 litres.
He noted that the ethanol had originally been dispatched from VRV Hospitality Pvt Ltd in Chak Alia, Dinanagar (Gurdaspur), and was officially headed to IOCL in Bathinda. However, it is suspected that the consignment was being diverted to dry states, where liquor sales are banned, for illicit purposes.
An FIR has been filed at Sadar police station in Bathinda under relevant laws, including provisions that allow for life imprisonment for those found guilty. A thorough investigation is underway to uncover the broader network linked to this illegal activity.
