CHANDIGARH, AUGUST 26:
In their continued crackdown on spurious and illicit liquor business in the state, the Punjab Police on Wednesday seized 7000 litres of Lahan from Mand area of village Marrar in Harike alongside Satluj riverine area during an operation carried out with the help of drones equipped with sophisticated cameras.
A manhunt has been launched to track the seven persons named as accused in the case, DGP Dinkar Gupta disclosed. All the suspects are inhabitants of nearby villages.
The crackdown was the result of a highly sophisticated operation carried out by a team led by SSP Tarn Taran, which also recovered seven boats from the spot. Six working stills were also found and destroyed at the site itself, said the DGP, adding that the Lahan seizure included 10 drums (10×200 = 2000 Litre) and 10 tarpaulins (10×500 = 5000 Litres).
Based on vital inputs obtained through drone cameras, Tarn Taran police officers and 125 police personnel, in close coordination with Excise Department & Forest Department of Punjab, conducted the raids in the Mand area early this morning.
Giving details, the DGP said based on specific inputs, a massive search operation was launched in marshy area with help of drones mounted with HD cameras to pinpoint the exact location of the working stills and activity of suspicious persons in the grassland. Trained operators specially requisitioned from Punjab Armed Police, Jalandhar, were pressed into service, to conduct a recce of approx. 2 sq. km area a day prior to the raid, he added. The general area has a marshy terrain and is not accessible and approachable due to tall elephant grass. Hence, drones mounted with cameras were used.
The footage of the drone cameras was shown to residents of nearby villages to identify the suspects. Daler Singh, Kulbir Singh, Laly, Manjit Singh, Fuman Singh, Mohan Singh and Balwinder Singh @ Nimma have been named as accused based on the basis of information provided by the locals.
An FIR no. 112 dated 26.08.2020 U/S 61/1/14 Excise Act PS Harike has been registered in this regard.
