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Guwahati : Despite of some raids conducted by the Assam excise department and other investigation agencies against the illicit liquor traders in various locations of the state, liquor mafia, gangs continued its illegal trade with the help of some corrupted officials in the state.
 
A top official of Assam excise department said that, the liquor mafia, gangs had sold illicit liquor worth of Rs 100 crore in the state every month, which were flooding from the neighbouring states like Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya.
 
A confidential letter of the state excise department also revealed about the illegal activities.
 
Recently, the commissioner of excise had sent a letter to the DCs and SPs of upper Assam's Tinsukia, Dibrugarh, Sivsagar, Jorhat, Dhemaji and Lakhimpur district and urged them to form flying squad teams to check the illegal activities.
 
The commissioner of excise said in his letter (No-I-190/2015-2016/142) that, huge quantity of beer and Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) is being smuggled from Arunachal Pradesh by fraudulent elements including some of the excise licencee. 
 
'It is causing huge loss of revenue to the state exchequer. Their modus operandi includes transport of non duty paid beer and IMFL from the Arunachal Pradesh and then change the Arunachal labels by Assam fakelabels for sale in local market,' commissioner of excise said in his letter.
 
The top official of the state excise department urged the DCs and SPs of the concerning districts to constitute flying squads to monitor border points and also to conduct frequent raids in the premises of retailers and wholesalers to catch fake labeled products.
 
The commissioner of excise also asked the DCs and SPs to direct excise officials of the districts to enhance enforcement and also extent police and other helps whenever required.
 
'While the commissioner of excise urged to conduct monitor and raids against the illegal activities, it has not been properly implemented in most of districts. Actually some corrupted officials are involved with the liquor mafia, gangs,' the top excise official said.
 
Meanwhile, Assam excise minister Parimal Suklabaidya directed the commissioner of excise to take stern action against the officials those were found involvement in illegal activities.
 
On the other hand, two corrupted officials of excise department, who were arrested for their alleged involvement in the Rs 40 crore tax evasion scam of BG bonded warehouse, were granted bail by the Gauhati high court.
 
According to the reports, deputy commissioner of excise Pranjal Bora and superintendent of excise Amarendra Nath were granted bail by the court after the CID failed to submit charge sheet against them. 
 
(Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath)