36 arrested as excise teams bust online supply of illegal alcohol fermenter

36 people were arrested and 64 cases were registered during a two-day crackdown on illegal liquor manufacture in 42 villages in Mahabubabad and Tandur mandals, where manufacturers were procuring the fermenting agent online after the supply of jaggery and sugar was curtailed.

Excise officials found that people in tribal villages had switched to making a fermentation mixture into a sugar-like substance used in baking cakes. The raids, which were carried out by 17 teams, led to the seizure of 217 liters of illegal alcohol. Officials destroyed 9,450 liters of fermentation mixture. They also seized 565 kg of jaggery, 25 kg of fermentation ingredients and six vehicles. Another 40 people were tied up.

The drive was launched by Excise Enforcement Director Avinash Mohanty and covered 42 villages over two days. Joint Excise Enforcement Commissioner Anjan Rao, Warangal District Deputy Commissioner Dattu Raj Goud, Deputy Commissioner K. Naveen Kumar and EC Karan Chand supervised the operation.

Published – 15 Nov 2026 20:54 IST