Ahead of the Onam festival season, the Excise Department has stepped up enforcement activities in the district. The department has embarked on a special drive up to September 5 to prevent spirit smuggling, bootlegging and drug peddling.
A control room functioning round the clock has been opened to coordinate the drive and arrangements put in place to monitor bar hotels, beer and wine parlours, ayurveda outlets and toddy shops. Striking force units have been constituted to keep a close tab on suspicious activities and inspection tightened at border check posts to prevent smuggling of spirit, spurious liquor and drugs from other States. Border patrolling has also been stepped up.
An official pressnote issued here called on the public to iinform the control room or Excise officials of any illegal activity including bootlegging and drug peddling. The names of the informants would be kept confidential. The district control room can be contacted on the toll free numbers 155358 and 18004251727 or 0471-2473149.
