Photo Courtesy: India Today Group
Guwahati: The Enforcement Directorate filed a prosecution complaint against 19 entities in a Guwahati special PMLA court. This legal action targets a massive liquor smuggling operation moving illicit booze from Arunachal Pradesh into Assam. The case originates from 173 FIRs filed by Assam Police along the 804-kilometer state border.
Investigators uncovered a vertically integrated criminal network. Operators manufactured liquor and smuggled it across borders without transit permits or Excise Verification Certificates. They dodged hefty Assam excise duties and VAT payments. Assam authorities seized 2.63 lakh litres of smuggled alcohol worth Rs 52.77 crore in 739 separate incidents between 2023 and April 2026. This haul is just a drop in the bucket.
The ED named Sanjay Dewan, Niraj Sharma, and Rajan Lohia as the kingpins. They allegedly ran a "virtual monopoly" over the entire liquor trade in Arunachal Pradesh. The trio controlled warehousing, wholesale distribution, and retail sales. Four warehouse owners also face charges for storing the illicit goods.
The scheme relied on exploitation. Criminals seized liquor licenses from indigenous residents, using locals as proxy name-lenders for small monthly fees. They bypassed district and excise authorities entirely. The group used a hawala network to move dirty cash into Delhi, Jharkhand, and Telangana. Some warehouses operated as partnerships to hide benami assets. The PMLA court continues to process the case.
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