SEB focused on illicit liquor, drugs
Vijayawada: Andhra Pradesh Special Enforcement Bureau (SEB) has focused on elimination of illicit liquor, ganja cultivation, non-duty paid liquor, drug trafficking and consumption, gaming, betting and other concerned crimes across the state during the 2022 and succeeded to a great extent, said SEB commissioner Ravisankar Ayyanar.
He said in a statement here on Friday that the SEB personnel identified 2,196 villages which brew illicit liquor. As part of Operation Parivartan, the SEB staff conducted a series of raids and booked 26,461 cases arresting 17,348 persons. They seized and destroyed 3.02 lakh litre illicit liquor, 1.06 lakh litre jaggery wash, and also seized 5.18 lakh kg black jaggery along with 1,173 vehicles.
The SEB personnel filed 5,216 cases and arrested 5,715 persons on charges of bootlegging from other states seizing 77,444 litre non-duty paid liquor, 4,014 bottles of beer and 1228 vehicles from their possession. They had also conducted raids on unauthorised liquor outlets registering 6,490 cases and arresting 6,500 persons. They had seized 16,231 litres of non-duty paid liquor and 391 bottles of beer along with 293 vehicles.
The SEB personnel had launched a massive rehabilitation programme for the illicit brewing families, Ravisankar said. "In an attempt to provide them alternative livelihood, 1,485 families were given loans worth Rs 11.15 crore to seek alternative employment." He announced that so far out of 2,196 villages, 1,096 villages were converted illicit liquor-free villages. Ravisankar said that during raids on ganja cultivation and synthetic drug peddling, 344 cases were booked and 663 persons were arrested. They seized 26,242 kg ganja and 123 vehicles from them.
In a special raid in the agency area of Visakhapatnam district, 30.93 lakh ganja plants being cultivated in 689 cares were destroyed.
Referring to the sand smuggling, Ravisankar Ayyanar said that 6,103 persons were arrested seizing 38,543 tonnes of sand and 4,705 vehicles after filing 3,746 cases against them. The Preventive Detention Act was promulgated against 101 persons who are indulging in serious crimes of brewing illicit liquor and smuggling NDP liquor and sent them to prison without bail for one year. The seized 8,431 vehicles were auctioned and the amount of Rs 18.49 crore was submitted to the state exchequer.
Ravisankar said that bind over cases were booked against 25,282 persons and a fine of Rs 64.18 lakh was collected from them when they violated the bind over rules. During 2022, as many as 32,981 cases were solved through courts and efforts are on to clear pending cases at an early stage by filing charge sheets.
The commissioner announced that the SEB has been planning to conduct awareness programmes in the colleges and universities to discourage students from using drugs. A toll-free number 14500 was introduced to lodge complaints on drug use and peddling.
The SEB personnel were given rewards, medals and rolling trophies basing on their performance.