Mira Bhayandar: On an intensified drive to weed out illegalities ahead of the upcoming assembly elections, the crime branch unit (zone III) attached to the Mira Bhayandar-Vasai Virar (MBVV) police busted a massive liquor brewing unit (haath-bhatti) which was running from the hillocks of a jungle area in Nallasopara on Wednesday morning.
Acting on a tip-off, a team led by police inspector-Pramod Badhaakh swooped down on the den located near Saagpada at around 7:30 am. The team seized multiple barrels of hooch along with ingredients including 1520 litres of fermented jaggery wash, chemicals and other manufacturing equipment collectively worth more than Rs. 1.56 lakh.
However, the den operators managed to escape from the spot into the dense jungle area before the arrival of the police team. The entire material and equipment were destroyed on the spot. An offence under the relevant sections of the Maharashtra Prohibition Act-1949 for construction/works of any distillery or brewery and manufacturing intoxicants.
“Some notorious bootleggers are under the scanner of investigations. We are not only on the trail of the liquor supply chain but have also intensified patrolling in the area so as to ensure that units do not restart their activities.” said an investigating officer.
The consumption of illicit liquor which is unscientifically manufactured by using toxic chemicals like methanol and rectified spirit can cause deaths and other serious ailments including loss of eyesight.
The raid has yet again confirmed the active presence of the notorious liquor mafia in the Mira Road-Virar belt even as the excise department continues playing blind to the illegalities.
