Liquor drums seized from illicit brewing plants. Pix: Bhola Prasad

Jamshedpur, Feb. 23: In a breakthrough operation, state excise officers and district police jointly conducted a raid at Manifita village under the suburban Govindpur police station area and dismantled as many as 20 illicit distilleries this morning.

During the raid, the joint team confiscated 5,000 litres of country-made liquor from the distilleries. Besides, the team also recovered stocks of mahua, fire wood, utensils and material used to manufacture country-made liquor. According to police sources, the consignment was ready to be smuggled into the steel city.

The joint team confiscated the lot being kept in plastic bottles and subsequently drained it out in the open.

Sub-inspector Shanker Singh of the Jharkhand excise department, who was leading the team, said the raid was conducted based on a tip-off.

“We had resolved to wipe out the entire lot of distilleries from the Manifita area and likewise prepared a team for the raid. We requested the police for help. It was after a four-hour raid that we succeeded to demolish all distilleries,” said an excise officer.

Although the joint team succeeded in razing many illegal distilleries, they failed to nab the traders involved. An officer said the brewers fled the spot after they learnt of the approaching team.

East Singhbhum superintendent of police Naveen Kumar Singh has instructed the officers-in-charge of police stations falling under his jurisdiction to ensure that such raids are effective.

“I want to see that the police and the excise department work together and eliminate illicit liquor,” said Singh, adding that such raids would continue.