Hooch sellers to face action under MCOCA in Nashik

Nashik: The state excise department in Nashik plans to invoke the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) against repeat offenders involved in the manufacture and sale of illicit liquor.Officials said the move is aimed at dismantling organised networks behind the spurious liquor trade, which continues despite frequent raids and arrests.“We are now planning to take strict action against the manufacturers and sellers of spurious liquor. While we have action against one such person under the Maharashtra Prevention of Dangerous Activities (MPDA) Act in the recent past, we are now contemplating action against such people under the MCOCA as these people work in a chain and are also repeat offenders,” said Santosh Zagade, superintendent of the Nashik state excise department.Authorities said the illegal liquor trade remains a persistent challenge, with hundreds of cases registered annually by the excise department and police. Consumption of such liquor poses serious health risks. Officers noted that tracking illicit brewing units is difficult as they are often located in remote hilly areas, allowing operators to evade raids.“On spotting law enforcement officials, the liquor makers quickly abandon their equipment and flee, leaving behind the liquor and the chemicals used in production,” officials said. They added that bootleggers maintain local informants in villages and towns to alert them in advance about possible enforcement action.Despite repeated crackdowns, officials admitted that arrests alone have failed to deter the accused, prompting the move to invoke stricter laws like MCOCA to break the organised network.Officials expressed hope that stronger legal action would act as a deterrent and help curb the menace of illicit liquor in the region.