Jajpur: Excise officials Wednesday seized a pick-up van carrying 45 litres of illicit liquor at the vegetable market here. The driver of the vehicle has been detained and is being interrogated.
Sources said vegetables from Kolkata are brought in vehicles on a daily basis. Like every other day the pickup van arrived at the vegetable market here Wednesday morning.
Excise officials however, had been tipped off regarding the illicit liquor in the van. They searched the van and found the liquor sealed in bottles. To hide the bottles from watchful eyes, several sacks of vegetables had been placed over it.
It should be stated here that liquor shops in Odisha have remained closed since the imposition of lockdown March 25. This has led to the flourishing of illicit liquor trade across the state. Even though restrictions have been eased during Lockdown 4.0, the trade is still continuing. Most varieties of liquor are being sold at three times their original price, said sources.
PNN