Enforcement Directorate’s (ED), Guwahati Zonal Office has conducted search operations at nine premises of wholesale liquor entities spread across Arunachal Pradesh.
The raids were conducted at Itanagar, Nahagarlagun, Seppa, Ziro, Daporijo, Namsai and Roing in connection with a case registered under Section 17 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002.
ED initiated investigation on the basis of multiple FIRs registered by the Assam Police concerning illegal transportation/smuggling of liquor from Arunachal Pradesh into Assam, supplemented by a reference from the Assam Excise Department. An ECIR was recorded on 17.10.2024, and the scope has since been expanded through an addendum to include 173 additional FIRs.
Earlier, during a similar search actions on the premises of three principal manufacturers of liquor in Arunachal Pradesh, alleged to be the kingpins of the network, had indicated that the syndicate exploits the inter-State excise-duty differential by using a chain of manufacturers, bonded warehouses and wholesalers, concealing beneficial ownership behind tribal partnerships and dummy licence holders, and diverting liquor meant for Arunachal Pradesh for illegal sale in Assam and other States.
On-site managers of the wholesalers confirmed the beneficial ownership of the kingpins as books, stock registers and daily cash proceeds were found to be physically routed to the kingpins’ central offices, and approximately Rs.40 lakh in unexplained cash was seized during the action. Additionally, 14 seals (including seals of the “Excise Department, Government of Arunachal Pradesh’) were seized from one premise, prima facie used to fabricate transport permits, corroborating the trail of undocumented physical movement of liquor smuggled into Assam.
