UP govt seizes 2.69 lakh litres of illegal liquor, nearly 2000 arrested in August

Lucknow, Sep 4 (PTI) The Uttar Pradesh government has intensified its crackdown on illegal liquor trade and on Thursday said that between August 1 and 31, 2025, a total of 10,503 cases were registered across the state.

During this period, authorities seized nearly 2.69 lakh litres of illicit liquor, arrested 1,995 accused, sent 351 offenders to jail, and confiscated 23 vehicles involved in smuggling, the government said.

Sharing details of the campaign, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Excise and Prohibition, Nitin Agarwal, said, "On the Chief Minister's instructions, a 10-day special enforcement drive is underway from August 28 to September 6." He said till August 31 alone, the drive led to the registration of 1,587 cases, seizure of 38,099 litres of illegal liquor, and arrest of 340 persons, of whom 83 have been jailed. Additionally, three vehicles used in smuggling were seized.

Agarwal further highlighted that this policy is yielding positive results in revenue collection. In the financial year 2025-26, up to August, the state has already earned Rs 22,337.62 crore in excise revenue -- an increase of Rs 3,021.41 crore (15.64 per cent) compared to last year.

In August alone, the revenue touched Rs 3,754.43 crore, the minister said.

"Continuous monitoring and decisive action by the government are steadily tightening the grip on illegal liquor networks. The zero-tolerance approach of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, coupled with aggressive departmental enforcement, has been the driving force behind this success," he added. PTI KIS OZ OZ