Goa has been a haven for the illegal liquor trade within a radius of hundreds if not thousands of kilometres. The number of cases wherein local alcohol, as well as Indian-made foreign liquor (IMFL) manufactured in Goa, is being intercepted has turned out to be to the tune of crores of rupees.
Whether somebody likes it or not, Goa’s identity amongst domestic tourists is labelled in the line ‘where beer is cheaper than water’. Goans may get offended and even deny it as a false claim, but ask a tourist and he/she will correct you by providing facts to prove their point. Despite such a huge demand within the State and in addition to the demand and exports to other states, Goa’s excise revenue for the year 2022-23 was only Rs 865 crore. According to excise officials, that too was possible after specific efforts during the last financial year, and the revenue grew 33% from Rs 650 crore in 2021-22.
On December 18, as Goa was preparing to celebrate 62 years of Liberation, the Maharashtra State Excise Department’s Divisional Flying Squad in Pune intercepted and seized a truck, on the Bangalore-Mumbai National Highway near the Khed-Shivapur toll plaza, carrying illegal liquor estimated to be worth Rs 82 lakh, which was being trafficked from Goa to Maharashtra. The truck was smuggling the liquor in the guise of transporting pharmaceutical supplies. The driver said that the cargo consisted of pharmacy supplies and furnished documents like a pharmacy bill, tax invoice, etc. However, a thorough probe revealed 950 boxes containing 45,600 sealed bottles of 180 ml of Royal Blue Malt Visco whiskey, allegedly manufactured by a distillery in Bardez.
Numerous such cases where vehicles are intercepted in other States never reach the people of Goa as they are seldom reported in the local media. Yet, the quantity that is being illegally traded out of the State’s borders every year is being considered as a drop from the barrel of liquor. Liquor smuggling consignments originating from Goa were always an open secret, but the quantity of liquor that is being sold and transported illegally is an indication of the larger racket about which the government is surprisingly oblivious.
According to the Goa Excise department, the laws for exporting liquor are clearly laid down. From submission of import requisition of the destination State to verifying every detail of the export consignment before issuing the export certificate for the consignment and border checks, the procedures are clearly laid out. In all these transactions the excise inspectors play a vital role as nothing can move without their consent. For every liquor manufacturing unit, a designated excise inspector is responsible and therefore it is beyond comprehension that liquor can be illegally manufactured and exported without their knowledge. Clearly, the officials responsible are seemingly turning a Nelson’s Eye to illegalities taking place literally under their noses.
Turning to the local market, people from within the industry inform that poor-quality liquor or adulterated liquor is sold over the counters to tourists who have little to no knowledge and experience of the quality of the different varieties of IMFL. Thus, while on one hand the ‘liquor mafia’ evades the excise charges by illegally producing larger quantities of alcohol, on the other hand, poor quality or adulterated liquor, which can cause harm and even death in the worst scenario, is shoved into the industry.
Illegalities of such a large scale cannot be carried out without the patronage of those in the corridors of power. Indicating that for all the ‘fame’ of being the land of ‘sun, sand and soro (alcohol)’, Goa is paying a huge price. For a sustainable industry, tourism as well as liquor, the government ought to clean up the scum dirtying the system.
