56 liquor bottles seized in Hyderabad; Four arrested for illegal transport

Hyderabad: As part of an ongoing drive against Non-Duty Paid Liquor (NDPL), the Excise Department’s Special Task Force (STF) seized 56 bottles of liquor in three separate cases and arrested four individuals for illegal transportation and sale.

In Tirumalagiri, near the Secunderabad Military Hospital, STF officials seized 20 bottles of Signature whiskey from an individual identified as Sri Panaramana. The operation was led by CI Nagaraju and SI Jyothi.

In a separate case, during routine checks at Secunderabad Railway Station, the STF detained a passenger, Ajay Singh, who had arrived via the KSR Bengaluru and Rajdhani Express trains. Officials recovered 44 bottles of Corona Extra beer and four additional liquor bottles from his possession.

In another operation, following a tip-off about illegal ganja sales, the STF-B team raided a residence in West Marredpally. Two individuals, Runith and Aditya, were arrested. The team seized 13 grams of OG Kush ganja and 32 bottles of liquor reportedly sourced from Goa, Manipur, and Delhi. STF team leader Pradeep Rao confirmed the arrests and said the total value of the seized liquor is estimated at ₹2.5 lakh.

Last month, in a separate case, the Shamshabad DTF Excise Police seized NDPL liquor worth approximately ₹4 lakh from a farmhouse in Moinabad during a private event. A total of 52 bottles, including premium whisky brands, were confiscated.

According to officials, the event was hosted at the "Gol Maari" function hall by a family celebrating a personal occasion. Liquor and meat were served to guests without obtaining the required permission from the Excise Department.

Instead of procuring liquor legally available in Telangana, the organizers had sourced NDPL liquor from Delhi, Goa, and Defence (CSD) stocks. The seizure included 50 bottles of Black Label whisky from Delhi, four bottles from Goa, three duty-paid bottles from Telangana, and 12 beer bottles.

Excise Circle Inspector Praveen Kumar led the operation. Cases have been registered against the individual who procured the liquor and the function hall owner for failing to secure the necessary liquor consumption license.

Shamshabad Excise Superintendent Krishnapriya confirmed the case registrations. Excise Enforcement Director Shanawaz Khan commended the team for their action. Officials reminded the public that serving liquor at private functions without proper authorization is a punishable offence under the Excise Act.