Delhi Excise Department Seizes Illicit Liquor Worth Rs 1.5 Crore Amid Polls

In the two weeks since the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) was enforced for the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections, the Delhi government's excise department has confiscated nearly 20,000 bottles of illicit liquor valued at Rs 50 lakh. This brings the total worth of the seizures—comprising 15,376 litres of illicit alcohol, both Indian-made foreign liquor (IMFL) and country liquor, along with 32 vehicles—to approximately Rs 1.5 crore.

The excise department has filed 52 cases linked to the seized contraband. Notably, the department’s haul of illicit liquor after the MCC's implementation represents about 25 percent of the total amount confiscated, including those by the Delhi Police.

The Excise Intelligence Bureau (EIB) has been actively investigating smuggling operations, particularly from neighboring Haryana, with a focus on catching the offenders, according to senior department officials. The ongoing enforcement efforts come ahead of the February 5 election, with vote counting scheduled for February 8. Both dates have been declared "dry days" by the excise department.

Recent operations included the interception of two vehicles in Burari and Mahipalpur on Thursday night, resulting in the seizure of 5,000 bottles, which contained 3,600 litres of smuggled liquor worth Rs 12 lakh. In one operation, an excise team pursued a truck carrying 3,036 liquor bottles for 14 kilometers before intercepting it in Burari, leading to the confiscation of 253 cases of liquor intended for sale in Haryana. Another operation at Mahipalpur resulted in the seizure of 151 cases, containing 1,812 bottles and 1,317 litres of liquor.

Despite limited resources and staffing, the excise department continues to carry out extensive enforcement actions, with an average of three FIRs and 1,000 litres of illicit liquor seized daily. Intensive patrolling and checks at inter-state borders, particularly those with Haryana, are central to these efforts.

Additionally, in response to Election Commission directives, the excise department has issued instructions prohibiting "coupon-based and mass bookings" at hotels, clubs, and bars, while also ramping up inspections of bonded liquor warehouses and CCTV monitoring to prevent any malpractices.