Illegal liquor smuggling has flourished since the Konkan Railway line was thrown open. The railway reduced the travel time to Mumbai, but simultaneously encouraged illegal activities, especially of liquor smuggling to other states through the trains.
An exclusive Herald investigation has revealed that trains like Mangala Express, Okha Express, Bikaner Express, Gandhidham Express, Marusagar Express, Hapa Express and Bhavnagar Express are most often used by smugglers to illegally transport alcohol.
All these trains head north via Panvel. The major consignments are loaded in Goa for delivery in Gujarat. The delivery responsibility is up to Panvel and from there the responsibility is assumed by the receiving party.
All the trains depart from Margao once a week and every day one of the trains is used. The departure times for these trains are usually between 11am and 11.15am within which time, the consignments are loaded.
It’s not just the express trains. The passenger train that departs Margao at 7.10pm every day to Ratnagiri is also being used to smuggle alcohol to Ratnagiri and Chiplun in Maharashtra. The train reaches its destination around midnight, a time when it becomes easy for smugglers to divert the consignments by other trains and by road to various parts of the state where liquor is sold at considerably higher rates than in Goa.
The majority of alcohol is supplied by four wine stores whose names we are with-holding since we do not have watertight evidence but we do have concrete information. The packaging is done between 6.30 pm to 7pm.
These wine shops are known to have links with the liquor mafia and the illicit liquor production houses. Alcohol costing Rs 50 is sold for around Rs 300 in other states by this alcohol mafia.
Due to the increasing demand for alcohol, which is cheaper in Goa, illegal distilleries have been mushrooming in the State. Herald investigations revealed 15 odd illegal distilleries in Goa in Canacona, Verna, Nagoa, Benaulim, Old Goa, Kundai and Tivim.
