Spurious liquor factory busted in Manipur

A factory producing spurious Indian-made foreign liquor (IMFL) in dry Manipur's Thoubal district was busted and a woman, alleged to be the kingpin of the racket, arrested, police said on Tuesday.

Superintendent of Police S. Ibomcha said the woman was identified as Rosy Changamayum, 25.

In the raid on Monday night, police said that over 1,600 bottles of spurious Old Monk rum, some empty liquor bottles, many ingredients - some of which are yet to be identified - and other material were seized.

An FIR was registered on Tuesday and the seized materials handed over to the Food Safety Standard and Enforcement Wing for identification.

The raid came after some persons had recently died after consuming spurious liquor. Though there have been reports of manufacturing spurious IMFL, this is for the first time that an illegal factory was busted and any accused arrested.

The Manipur government had declared the state dry in 1990, while the outlawed Revolutionary People's Front had imposed total prohibition in Manipur from January 1, 1991.

From this day, all 64 liquor shops and three bonded warehouses were closed. Those roadside shop owners who continued sell liquor were punished by the insurgents, usually being shot in the knee.

Ibomcha said that such raids shall continue since there are bootleggers everywhere selling country liquor and IMFL in Thoubal district.

Police say that a huge number of IMFL bottles are also brought to the state daily basis from neighbouring Assam and Meghalaya where there are many licenced foreign liquor shops.

--IANS

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