Despite regular raids by police and Special Enforcement Bureau (SEB) teams in around 30 villages known for manufacturing illegal distilled (ID) liquor in half a dozen mandals of Chittoor district for the past two years, the threat remains. challenge to executives
Fearing raids, otherwise covert operations have now shifted to hills and deep forests.
Police say that the enforcement officers are surprised by the methods of making ID liquor during the recent raids. Some sugarcane farmers have started making banned liquor in their fields itself. “They (farmers) will arrange for making liquor on the pretext of preparing jaggery, only to dodge the raiding parties,” said a police officer.
It is no secret that the closure of cooperative and private sugar mills in Chittoor and Tirupati districts has put sugarcane farmers in a financial crunch, which is made worse by the economic slowdown induced by the coronavirus pandemic.
Police say that rural youths in the age group of 20 to 25 years help the gangsters in running the liquor making business. Lack of employment opportunities in the absence of industrial, commercial or construction activities has made the youth vulnerable to trafficking in Vedarukuppam, Karvethi Nagaram, SR Puram, GD Nellore, Gudipala, Chittoor Rural and Punganur mandals. ID liquor gangs lure youth into the business as they need a workforce to produce and transport alcohol and collect revenue.
“It is difficult to locate an ID-liquor manufacturing unit set up in the middle of a sugarcane field. Some sugarcane farmers have started considering this illegal trade as another source of income. Poverty is making youth easy targets of exploitation by liquor gangs. However, we are slowly gaining ground. We have almost ended the practice of ID-liquor in the villages. Now, the operation has moved to the hills and sugarcane fields,” said Karvethi Nagaram circle-inspector S. Chandrashekhar says.
He says people should realize that ID-alcohol is made in a risky way, using rubber and synthetic materials. “As a liter of arak is sold for somewhere between ₹200 to ₹600, it enjoys a good protection. One liter of arak can be consumed by 10 persons at a time or for a week or more. The raids will continue till the threat is over. The accused are being booked under the PD Act,” says the police officer.