Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 8 (IANS) The Kerala Excise Department has intensified its statewide enforcement drive against illicit liquor, spirit, drugs and tobacco products ahead of Onam, with 2,332 cases registered and 715 persons arrested in the first seven days of the special campaign.
The week-long Onam festivities, the traditional harvest festival of Kerala, are round the corner and set to begin on the 23rd of this month.
The Onam Special Enforcement Drive, which began on August 1 and will continue until September 5, has so far witnessed 3,157 raids across the state.
Officials have also seized 41 vehicles in connection with the cases.
Of the total cases registered in the first week of August, 264 were drug-related, 618 were Abkari cases, and 1,450 were registered under the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA).
The enforcement drive has already uncovered two major cases involving the illegal transportation of spirit.
The Payyannur Excise team seized 7,000 litres of illicit spirit, while another operation by the Angamaly Excise team led to the seizure of 1,200 litres.
Further investigations into both cases are progressing.
The department has stepped up vehicle inspections, intelligence gathering, special raids and surveillance along border areas.
Joint operations are being conducted in coordination with the Police, Forest, Revenue, Railway Protection Force (RPF), Coastal Police and Food Safety Department.
Surveillance at border check-posts has been strengthened, while coordination meetings are being held with enforcement agencies in neighbouring States to check interstate movement of illicit liquor, spirit and narcotics.
A 24-hour state-level control room has been established at the Excise Commissionerate in Thiruvananthapuram under a Joint Excise Commissioner, with a special eight-member team including two Excise Inspectors.
Similar round-the-clock control rooms are functioning in all districts under Deputy Excise Commissioners.
The department has also intensified Operation Shudhi, aimed at strengthening inspections relating to toddy and toddy shops, and Operation Thunder, designed to step up enforcement activities.
To improve drug detection, NDPS detection kits have been distributed to all districts, enabling preliminary detection of narcotic substances, including through saliva samples.
Special surveillance has also been intensified around schools, colleges and other educational institutions during the Onam period.
The department said public participation was being encouraged through Excise Janajagratha Samithis at ward, panchayat and district levels.
Awareness programmes are also being conducted as part of the ‘Mayangilla Kerala’ campaign, covering prevention, enforcement, awareness, de-addiction and rehabilitation.
Excise Commissioner Sreeram Sambasiva Rao said the public could report information or complaints relating to liquor, drugs and tobacco products to the district toll-free number 155358.
The identity of complainants would be kept strictly confidential, he said.
–IANS
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