Siliguri, 24th June: In a major crackdown on liquor smuggling, the Jalpaiguri Excise Department seized a huge consignment of non-duty paid liquor and beer allegedly being transported illegally from Sikkim. Three youths from Darjeeling district were arrested in connection with the case, while another accused managed to flee and remains absconding.
The arrested individuals have been identified as Sudhir Rai (27), Ayush Rai (20) and Ayushman Limbu (22), all residents of Darjeeling district.
According to the Excise Department, Special Commissioner of the Excise Division Sujit Das received a tip-off regarding the smuggling of a large quantity of liquor from Sikkim to various parts of West Bengal using two vehicles. Acting on the information, a special team was formed under the leadership of Deputy Excise Collector of Bhakti Nagar Range, Kirad Singh Bardi.
Excise officials, range personnel and police jointly launched surveillance operations in the Kalijhora and Sevoke Forest areas. At around 3 a.m. on Wednesday, two suspicious vehicles, a Tata Sumo and a Mahindra Bolero Pickup, were intercepted near Bengal Safari.
During the search, officials recovered 1,528.2 litres of liquor and 468 litres of beer. Preliminary investigation revealed that the entire consignment had been brought from Sikkim without payment of the required duties and was allegedly intended for distribution in Siliguri, Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling.
The Excise Department stated that the seized liquor and beer are valued at approximately Rs 40.54 lakh, while the two confiscated vehicles are worth around Rs 16 lakh.
The three accused were produced before the Siliguri court with a request for remand. Meanwhile, raids are underway to trace and arrest the absconding accused. The Jalpaiguri Excise Department has launched a detailed investigation into the matter.