The Churachandpur District Police on Monday raided local distilling factories in and around the town where they seized a large quantity of illegally distilled indigenous country (DIC) liquor including beers from local shops and disposed of them at the campus.
Police sources said that they raided an illicit country made liquor (DIC) factory at K Vangphai village, which is about 6 km from Churachandpur police station. There, they seized the liquor and the utensils and materials used to manufacture them.
The seized items that are disposed of on Monday included 130 litres of DIC liquor, one drum and buckets for storage, 11 large aluminium pots for cooking/ manufacturing liquor, five jerrycans, among others.
The police also raided a shop at Teddim Road, New Lamka area where they seized 74 cans of beer and 14 beer bottles; these were all brought to the Churachandpur police station and displayed in front of the media and disposed of later.
After the crisis rocked the state last year, many manufacturers of DIC fled the district leading to the market being flooded with Burmese liquor which has brought untold held hazards to the consumers. These eventually led to many, including IDPs turning to manufacturing of DIC in the district for survival.
The Churches in the district have always been against the widespread manufacturing and selling of liquor products. However, the short supply of liquor has allegedly led many youngsters to take drugs which is alarming.
Recently, different Churches in the district had organised Gospel Camp to check the menace of liquor consumption. However, the result is yet to be seen as liquor is not a new invention and it is something that has found its foothold despite attempts to ban it.
