ONGOLE: Smugglers are relentlessly trying to find new ways to continue their illegal trade as police and civic supplies officials have stepped up efforts to curb the illegal transportation of liquor and essential commodities.
On receiving credible information, Ongole One Town police recently conducted surprise checks on a parcel service provider’s office in Bandlamitta area, and found 94 branded liquor bottles worth `two lakh brought from Hyderabad and being transported in one of their vehicles.
The police found out that the illegal transportation of non-duty paid liquor from Telangana was going on for some days. Later, they arrested the accused and seized the stocks. In another development, district civil supplies officials raided another parcel service provider at Bandlamitta Junction and found 57 packets (50 kg) of dal and 19 packets of bengal gram stocks brought from Nellore district.
The stocks were meant for distribution to beneficiaries at fair price shops. Also, Prakasam district Special Enforcement Bureau (SEB) assistant commissioner Y Srinivasa Choudary has said that the bureau, till date, booked 453 cases and arrested 687 people for illegally transporting sand; 15,312.9 metric tons of sand was seized from the arrested persons’ possession.
On the smuggling of liquor, he said the SEB has booked 832 criminal cases and arrested 858 persons for the crime, so far. It has seized 3,400 litres of non-duty paid liquor, and 1,200 illegally transported liquor bottles.