image file to represent | Photo credit: PERIASAMY M
With local body elections in Kerala approaching, the Excise Department has stepped up its surveillance measures through newly formed strike squads aimed at curbing hooch production and liquor smuggling. Officials confirm special attention will be paid to tribal regions after confidential reports that illegal alcohol may be used to influence voters.
According to department sources, a network of local informants has been created to ensure early warning of suspicious activities. People who provide credible information about drug dealers or alcohol smugglers will be eligible for rewards and their identities will be kept confidential. To encourage public participation, district-level and taluk-level helpline numbers have been circulated for sharing information about suspicious movements.
In Kozhikode district, special forces have already intensified blitz inspections in hilly areas where several hooch dens were destroyed in earlier operations. As part of the heightened vigilance, individuals previously arrested or convicted in drug-trafficking cases are under strict surveillance. Joint raids with local police teams are also underway in places previously identified as potential hotspots.
The role of migrant workers
An excise inspector involved in the recent seizures revealed that there has been a visible increase in the involvement of migrant workers in smuggling liquor. Many, he said, join the business after regular business hours in search of a quick buck. He added that units have already been instructed to monitor frequent inter-district and inter-state travel, especially for bulk purchases from Mahe and Goa, where lower prices attract illegal operators.
Coast Guard
Preventive officers from the Excise Department confirm that Coast Guard arrangements are in place to prevent smuggling through fishing boats in the northern Kerala region. The Coastal Police and Maritime Enforcement Unit are supporting these efforts and ensuring coordinated inspections along vulnerable stretches of coast, they added.
At the same time, police patrols intensified lightning checks in trains and inter-district buses based on the instructions of the election authorities. The Government Railway Police and the Railway Protection Corps were involved in the operations, which enable checks on the main transit routes.
According to senior excise department officials, the coordinated effort is expected to seal the possible channels of illegal movement of liquor during the elections. Frequent review meetings are also held to assess the field level performance of units and details of various seizures, they said.
Published – 28 Nov 2025 15:19 IST
