After the Punjab Excise Department wrote to the Chandigarh Excise Department, stating that there had been smuggling of illegal liquor into the state of Punjab from Chandigarh, the Chandigarh Excise Department conducted an inspection drive and found more than 4,000 bottles of various brands without valid permits. The Department has confiscated the bottles. The Sunday Guardian published a story on Illegal Smuggling on 1st October. After the news was published, the excise department revealed its action on Illegal Smuggling.
In order to curb the illegal sale of Imported Foreign Liquor and Indian Made Foreign Liquor (Imported Foreign Liquor and Indian Made Foreign Liquor) from the liquor vends and to prevent evasion of Excise Levies & Taxes, an enforcement team of the Excise and Taxation Department, U.T. Chandigarh, conducted a series of inspections on the liquor retail vends located in Sector 8, 9, 17, 26, and 28 as part of a special enforcement drive. During the inspections, a total of 4,513 bottles of various brands of IFL and IMFL were found without valid passes/permits and were confiscated by the inspecting team. Cases for breaches of Excise law have been initiated against the defaulter licensees.
The Excise Department has been actively coordinating with Chandigarh Police to curb illegal smuggling through the sharing of information and regular coordination meetings.
During Excise Policy 2023-2024, 8 FIRs have been registered by Chandigarh Police under the Excise Act for cases of illegal liquor smuggling. The Excise Department has taken strict action against 11 retail liquor vends, 4 bottling units, and 2 pubs/bars for violations of the Excise Act in the current policy year. Their illegal liquor has been confiscated, and penalty proceedings have been initiated.
This operation is part of the ongoing efforts to maintain the integrity of the Excise system and protect the interests of the citizens of Chandigarh. Regular coordination meetings have been convened with the Excise authorities of Punjab and Haryana to curb illegal smuggling. In the last meeting with the Excise authorities of Punjab, the Excise and Taxation Commissioner, UT Chandigarh, shared details of cases of inter-state smuggling and sought information from the Excise authorities of Punjab. In a coordination meeting dated 18.09.2023, Punjab Excise authorities shared information regarding FIR No.56 dated 15.05.2023 under the Excise Act registered in Chandigarh at Industrial Area Police Station in which approximately 400 cases of whisky (for sale in Punjab only) were recovered while illegally smuggled from Punjab. It was also decided that regular officer-level meetings and information-sharing mechanisms should be established to curb illegal inter-state liquor smuggling.
The Excise Department will continue taking stringent action against any individual or establishment found involved in such illegal activities. Those found involved in duty evasion will be held accountable under Excise laws.
