Amritsar, May 12
In view of the upcoming elections for the 18th Lok Sabha, the Punjab Police today carried out cordon and search operation (CASO) in four districts of the border belt here and recovered huge quantity of illicit liquor and lahan (raw material for brewing liquor).
The police arrested 13 bootleggers and registered 17 FIRs in the four districts in this connection. Rakesh Kaushal, DIG border range, said the police carried out CASO in Amritsar (Rural), Batala, Gurdaspur and Pathankot districts on Sunday and recovered a total of 287 litres of illicit liquor along with 16,850 kg of lahan.
“In Gurdaspur district 212 litres of illicit liquor, which is maximum, has been seized while 12,200 kg of lahan has been recovered in Batala alone,” the DIG said, while adding that 45 litres of illicit liquor was recovered in Batala, 15 litres each from Amritsar (Rural) and Pathankot districts.
In Gurdaspur 4,500 kg of lahan was recovered. In Amritsar (Rural) 150 kg of lahan was recovered.
Nine FIRs under the Excise Act were registered in Gurdaspur followed by five in Batala, two in Pathankot and one in Amritsar (Rural). Seven, four and two persons were arrested in these cases in Gurdaspur, Batala and Pathankot, respectively.
The DIG said residents were urged to share information regarding bootleggers and drug peddlers in their respective areas with the police so that untoward incidents could be averted.
He said the police was committed to nail those involved in drug trafficking and smuggling of illicit liquor which could be used to lure voters. He said anybody found involved would be taken to task.
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