Holi haul! 2,000 held with illicit liquor, drugs

LUCKNOW - Uttar Pradesh Police had a busy day ahead of Holi as they made a huge haul of illicit liquor, hashish, marijuana and other intoxicants and arrested as many as 2,055 people in a state-wide haul, officials said Tuesday.

Uttar Pradesh Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Brij Lal told reporters here Tuesday evening: “we have seized as much as 27,253 litres of illicit liquor from some 250 hooch brewing units during the state-wide 24-hour campaign launched by us between February 27 and 28.”

This was besides 1,100 kg of marijuana (ganja), and 255 kg of hashis (charas) as well as 255 tablets of tranquiliser tablets that were seized, he added.

Simultaneous raids carried out across the state also yielded “illegally stored” 3,344 litres of Indian made foreign liquor (IMFL) and 106 litres of beer. In addition, 15 country-made pistols along with substantial ammunition were also recovered during the course of the raids.

This followed multiple deaths due to consumption of hooch in Ghaziabad, and Varanasi last month.

“Taking very serious note of the deaths in Varanasi and Ghaziabad, we decided to go all out to crush this illicit liquor sale in the state; now such a campaign will be undertaken at frequent intervals so that we can bring an end to this clandestine business,” Lal added.

He said: “District police chief and DIGs have also been asked to maintain a strict vigil and not spare anyone indulging in illegal manufacture or sale of intoxicants.”