*Twist is expected as all 3 storage houses from where police confiscated 9.74 l worth liquor reportedly have license/permits
Goemkarponn Desk
CANACONA – Even as Canacona police hands over the alleged illegal liquor storing and interstate trafficking to the Excise Department, Canacona excise has set the ball rolling in investigating the liquor trafficking racket via Canacona forests.
Canacona Excise Inspector Shamba Naik informed that the police have already handed over the case papers and the liquor consignments police have confiscated from the three storage houses at Tirval (in Poinguinim village), in the vicinity of Cotigao Wildlife Sanctuary.
‘yes, we have taken over the liquor stocks, police have confiscated from the Tirval storage houses and the related case papers of the police search operations in view of the upcoming Lok sabha polls conducted in the wee hours of Thursday. We can’t say anything more, but yes we are conducting our investigations into the case, and any further actions are solely dependent after the investigations’. Naik informed.
It may be noted that Canacona police led by Canacona SDPO Dy.SP Tikam Singh Verma and PI Chandrakant Gawas in an midnight search has apprehended four persons trafficking head-loads of liquor to Karnataka through Tirval forests and later in a search operations found three storage houses into the Tirval forest close to border with Karnataka stocking different liquor brands including Palm and Cashew Feni, local brews all valued at 9.74 lakhs of rupees. Police have also rounded up four owners of the storage houses.
According to sources, while police handed over the case along with the confiscated liquors to the Excise department for further action in the matter, they have let –off the all the 8 detained persons detained during the search operations.
According to sources, while the excise has taken over the liquor racket case cracked by Canacona police in a midnight operation, it is learnt that all the three store-houses from where police have confiscated 9.74 lakhs worth liquor of different brands have related licenses and permits to stock liquor.
The source added, ‘the store houses are nothing new, but are existing since many years, with due permissions from the concerned authorities’.
Interestingly, as questions are raised as to the existence of liquor storage –houses within the jurisdiction of Cotigao Wildlife Sanctuary, all eyes are now on the investigation by the Excise department to find the legality or illegality of the stocks confiscated by the police department.
Interestingly, while Tirval ward along with Marlim falls under the revenue village of Poinguinim village, the residential as well forest areas comes under Cotigao Wildlife Sanctuary and the only road access is through Cotigao village, having at least two forest gates before reaching the wards.
Meanwhile according to reports,
Chief Wildlife Warden has ordered an inquiry into the Rs.9.74 lakh liquor racket burted by Canacona polikce early Thursday morning from the storage houses located in Tirval Forests, which comes under Cotigao Wildlife Sanctuary. DCR (South) is directed to conduct an inquiry into the matter and sought to submit a detailed report, considering the seriousness of the issue.