In one of the biggest operations against the illegal liquor trade in recent years, the Punjab Excise Department has seized nearly 80,000 litres of Extra Neutral Alcohol (ENA) from two tankers intercepted near a roadside dhaba in Kot Shamir, Bathinda. Acting on specific intelligence inputs, the department launched overnight raids on Thursday, leading to the arrest of eight accused, including individuals from Bathinda, Uttar Pradesh, and Nepal, and the impounding of two Gujarat-registered tankers, two Toyota Etios cars, and one Innova SUV.
The seized consignment, originating from VRV Hospitality Pvt Ltd in Dinanagar, Gurdaspur, was allegedly being diverted for use in illicit liquor manufacturing, production of spurious sanitisers, and perfume blending, a gross violation of the excise and chemical transport norms.
Addressing a press conference on Friday, Punjab Excise and Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema said, “Let this be a final warning: those engaged in manufacturing or selling illegal liquor must shut down their operations or leave Punjab. We are coming after every single one of them,” Cheema warned.
He announced that the accused have been booked under stringent provisions of the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with the Punjab Excise Act, invoking sections 14, 61, 78(2), and 303 of the Excise Act, and Sections 316 (criminal breach of trust) and 125 (endangering human lives) of the BNS. These laws carry provisions of life imprisonment due to the grave risk posed to public health and the scale of criminal conspiracy involved. So far, the department has seized 1,70,000 litres of ENA/Ethanol over the past years.
ENA vs Ethanol: Key Difference
While often used interchangeably in illegal trade, Extra Neutral Alcohol (ENA) and ethanol are different:
- Ethanol is a broader term referring to ethyl alcohol, which is used in fuel, industrial applications, and medical preparations.
- ENA, however, is a highly refined form of ethanol — typically 96% pure, colourless, and odourless — used in premium alcoholic beverages, perfumes, and cosmetics.
Both substances can be dangerously misused for producing spurious liquor when diverted from licensed supply chains.
The Danger of Illicit Use
The 80,000 litres of seized ENA could have been used to produce:
- 75 lakh bottles of 50-degree desi liquor,
- 5 lakh bottles of 75-degree IMFL, or
- 1 lakh bottles of sanitiser.
“This quantity had the potential to endanger thousands of lives, if converted and sold illegally. What we have achieved here is not just a seizure; it’s the prevention of a public health disaster,” Cheema added.
Leaks Confirmed: Illegal Transport Established
Excise Joint Commissioner Rajpal Khaira, stated that the two tankers were found to be leaking ENA at multiple points along the route. “The leaking tankers clearly establish that this was an unauthorised and illegal consignment. Proper ENA transport adheres to strict safety and containment standards. This operation was criminal in both intent and execution,” Khaira said.
He further revealed that the department’s GPS-based tracking system and blockade checkpoints across several districts led to the successful interception.
Factory and Interstate Link Under Investigation
According to officials, the ENA was loaded at VRV Hospitality Pvt Ltd, a licensed distillery in Gurdaspur. Investigations are underway to determine:
“We are examining every paper trail and establishing both forward and backward linkages. This isn’t an isolated incident but appears to be part of a larger network, with links to interstate buyers and illicit liquor manufacturers,” said a senior Excise Department official.
Cheema affirmed that this operation is just the beginning of an aggressive campaign by the AAP government. “Our mission is clear — we will eradicate drugs and illicit liquor from Punjab. There will be no compromise, no political shielding, and no second chances,” he said.
Joint teams of Excise and Police departments are interrogating the arrested accused. More arrests and follow-up raids are expected in the coming days.
The government has instructed all relevant departments to intensify surveillance, monitor distillery movements in real-time through GPS, and coordinate with interstate enforcement agencies to dismantle smuggling networks at every level.
