<p>Chandigarh: The Excise Department, Punjab, has seized around 80,000 litres of ethanol from two trucks during overnight raids in Bathinda, making eight arrests in a major crackdown on illicit liquor, state Finance and Excise Minister Harpal Singh Cheema said on Friday.</p>.<p>The trucks carrying ethanol bore Gujarat registration numbers indicating that the consignment originated from Gujarat, he said.</p>.<p>Additionally the department impounded two cars and an SUV linked to the case, Cheema said according to a statement.</p>.<p>Eight persons -- four from Bathinda, two from Uttar Pradesh, and as many from Nepal -- have been arrested and booked under stringent provisions of the law, which include the possibility of life imprisonment.</p>.5 killed, several injured in firecracker factory blast in Punjab's Sri Muktsar Sahib.<p>Both the Excise Department and the police are interrogating the accused, he added.</p>.<p>The minister said the quantity of ethanol seized could have been used to produce around 6,25,000 bottles of liquor, including 3,75,000 bottles of country-made liquor, or 1,10,000 bottles of sanitiser.</p>.<p>"If such a large quantity of liquor had been manufactured and distributed, it could have endangered thousands of lives," Cheema said, calling the operation a significant achievement for the government.</p>.<p>He warned those involved in the manufacture or sale of illegal liquor to shut down operations immediately or face stringent legal action, including imprisonment.</p>.<p>The ethanol consignment was loaded at a factory in Dinanagar, Gurdaspur, and Excise officials are probing the intended destination and purpose, Cheema said.</p>.<p>According to the minister, a tip-off was received about the movement of the trucks, prompting the department to launch a coordinated operation with checkpoints across multiple locations, leading to the seizure.</p>.<p>"The AAP government’s ultimate aim is to eradicate drugs and illicit liquor from Punjab. There will be no compromise in the war against drugs and crime," he said. </p>
<p>Chandigarh: The Excise Department, Punjab, has seized around 80,000 litres of ethanol from two trucks during overnight raids in Bathinda, making eight arrests in a major crackdown on illicit liquor, state Finance and Excise Minister Harpal Singh Cheema said on Friday.</p>.<p>The trucks carrying ethanol bore Gujarat registration numbers indicating that the consignment originated from Gujarat, he said.</p>.<p>Additionally the department impounded two cars and an SUV linked to the case, Cheema said according to a statement.</p>.<p>Eight persons -- four from Bathinda, two from Uttar Pradesh, and as many from Nepal -- have been arrested and booked under stringent provisions of the law, which include the possibility of life imprisonment.</p>.5 killed, several injured in firecracker factory blast in Punjab's Sri Muktsar Sahib.<p>Both the Excise Department and the police are interrogating the accused, he added.</p>.<p>The minister said the quantity of ethanol seized could have been used to produce around 6,25,000 bottles of liquor, including 3,75,000 bottles of country-made liquor, or 1,10,000 bottles of sanitiser.</p>.<p>"If such a large quantity of liquor had been manufactured and distributed, it could have endangered thousands of lives," Cheema said, calling the operation a significant achievement for the government.</p>.<p>He warned those involved in the manufacture or sale of illegal liquor to shut down operations immediately or face stringent legal action, including imprisonment.</p>.<p>The ethanol consignment was loaded at a factory in Dinanagar, Gurdaspur, and Excise officials are probing the intended destination and purpose, Cheema said.</p>.<p>According to the minister, a tip-off was received about the movement of the trucks, prompting the department to launch a coordinated operation with checkpoints across multiple locations, leading to the seizure.</p>.<p>"The AAP government’s ultimate aim is to eradicate drugs and illicit liquor from Punjab. There will be no compromise in the war against drugs and crime," he said. </p>