PNS|Vijayawada
The State Special Enforcement Bureau (SEB) has focused on destroying illicit liquor, ganja cultivation, non-duty paid liquor, drug trafficking and consumption, gaming, betting and other related crimes across Andhra Pradesh, according to SEB Commissioner Ravisankar Ayyanar.
In a release on Friday, he said that the SEB personnel identified 2,196 villages which brew illicit liquor. As part of ‘Operation Parivartan’, the SEB staff conducted a series of raids and booked 26,461 cases arresting 17,348 persons. They seized and destroyed 3.02 lakh litres of illicit liquor, 1.06 lakh litres of liquid jaggery, and also seized 5.18 lakh kg of black jaggery along with 1,173 vehicles.
The SEB personnel filed 5,216 cases and arrested 5,715 persons on the charges of bootlegging from other states seizing 77,444 litres of non-duty paid liquor, 4,014 bottles of beer, and 1228 vehicles from their possession. They had also conducted raids on authorized liquor outlets registering 6,490 cases and arresting 6,500 persons. They had seized 16,231 litres of non-duty paid liquor and 391 bottles of beer along with 293 vehicles.
He said that the SEB personnel had launched a massive rehabilitation programme for the illicit brewing families. In an attempt to provide them with alternative livelihood, 1485 families were given loans worth Rs 11.15 crore to seek alternative employment. He announced that so far out of 2,196 villages, 1,096 villages were converted to illicit liquor-free villages. He said that during raids on ganja cultivation and synthetic drug peddling, 344 cases were booked and 663 persons were arrested. They seized 26,242 kg of ganja and 123 vehicles from them.
Ravisankar said that 6,103 persons were arrested seizing 38,543 tonnes of sand and 4,705 vehicles after filing 3,746 cases against them. The Preventive Detention Act was promulgated against 101 persons who are indulging in serious crimes of brewing illicit liquor and smuggling NDP liquor and sent them to prison without bail for one year.
Ravisankar announced that the SEB has been planning to conduct awareness programmes in colleges and universities to discourage students from using drugs. A toll-free number 14500 was introduced to lodge complaints about drug use and peddling. The SEB personnel were given rewards, medals and rolling trophies based on their performance.
