Maoists operating in Rohtas district have turned to liquor brewing apparently to make a fast buck. They have set up several country liquor manufacturing units on the Kaimur plateau, considered to be a safe haven for Naxalite outfits.

A police team led by Rohtas superintendent of police Manavjeet Singh Dhillon came across at least nine such illicit liquor brewing units in villages such as Kachhuara, Phulwaria, Bharkhua and Nakti Bhuwanwara situated on the plateau.

The team comprising the Central Reserve Police Force and the district armed police demolished the makeshift dwellings used for making liquor in violation of the new Excise and Prohibition Act. Each brewing unit was set up at an estimated cost of Rs 2 lakh.

The station house officer (SHO) of Amjour police station, Vyankateshwar Ojha, said the raiding team seized around 1,500 litres of country liquor from each unit besides a huge quantity of mahua and other raw material during the operation.

The brewing was being done at the behest of the local Maoist leaders, who, instead collecting levy (extortion) found it more lucrative. "The trade was going on unabated as area is considered inaccessible for the police," the SHO added.

Dehri sub-divisional police officer (SDPO) Anwar Javed Ansari said the police destroyed the liquor seized from the liquor vends as it was not feasible to bring the material to the police station from the plateau.

"The police have prepared a list of the people involved in the liquor brewing despite a complete ban imposed by the government on manufacture and sale of liquor in the state," Ansari said, adding that suitable action would be initiated against those violating the law.

He said the villages were frequented by top leaders of the Maoists. However, nobody could be arrested during the raid as they spotted the movement of the security forces from the top of the hill, he added. He admitted that the involvement of the Naxalites in liquor brewing has come to the fore for the first time ever since the state was declared officially dry in April last year. "Implementing prohibition laws is on the priority of the district police," the SDPO said.

Last week, the Rohtas police had busted a gang involved in bootlegging and providing job in the illegal trade. Satya, the alleged kingpin, had revealed that he used to provide salary to the 10 members of the group involved in home delivery.