A special drive has been launched to prevent the brewing and sale of illicit liquor and drug trafficking during the Christmas and New Year festive period in Alappuzha district.
As part of it, a special enforcement squad comprising officials from Excise, Police, Railway Protection Force, Coastal Police, and Food Safety department will conduct joint inspections on trains, beaches, railway stations, vehicles, and school premises.
Additional District Magistrate Santhosh Kumar chaired a meeting to discuss the functioning of the squad on Wednesday. The special drive will continue till January 3.
Authorities registered 478 cases under Abkari Act and 1,307 Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA) cases in Alappuzha in the last four months. Officials said that 455 people had been arrested in connection with the cases registered under the Abkari Act. During the period, the authorities seized 751.49 litres of Indian-made foreign liquor, 6,946 litres of wash, 490 litres of arrack, 80 litres of toddy, 402 litres of illicit liquor and so on. They also seized 27 vehicles.