Excise Department Seizes Over 730 Litres of Illegal Bhutan Liquor
Jaigaon, December 31, 2025:
Acting on specific and credible intelligence, the Excise Department conducted a major operation on December 31, 2025, leading to the seizure of a large quantity of non-duty-paid Bhutan liquor from an abandoned house at Nichaline, Singhania Tea Garden under Jaigaon Excise Station.
The operation was initiated following secret information received by Md. Jakir Hussain, Officer-in-Charge of Jaigaon Excise Station, and was carried out under the overall supervision of Sri Ugen Tshewang, Superintendent of Excise, Alipurduar. The raid was executed as per a detailed plan prepared by Sri Sukdev Basak, Sub-Inspector of Excise, Birpara Circle, in coordination with Sri Sourab Sharma, Officer-in-Charge, Alipurduar RPU.
A special raiding team comprising officers and staff from Alipurduar Circle and RPU, Jaigaon Excise Station, Kalchini Circle, and Birpara Circle and RPU was formed and rushed to the identified location. Upon reaching the spot, the team cordoned off the abandoned house. No individuals were found present during the raid. Ad1
Following all prescribed legal procedures for search and seizure, the team recovered a total of 732.6 litres of illegal liquor, including:
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71 cartons of Bhutan Whisky, each containing 12 PET bottles of 750 ml, amounting to 639 litres, and
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12 cartons of Thunder 15000 Beer, each containing 12 glass bottles of 650 ml, totaling 93.6 litres.
A seizure list was prepared on the spot in the presence of witnesses. Random triplicate samples were drawn, properly sealed, labelled, and duly attested. The entire search and seizure process was recorded in audio-visual mode in accordance with the provisions of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023.
According to sources, the seized liquor had been stocked for New Year supply in the local area by Birendra Bhujel and Bhagwan Das. It was revealed that Birendra Bhujel and his family members are already involved in an Excise case registered as CR No. 1854/25. After the registration of that case, Bhujel allegedly took Bhagwan Das as his partner to continue the illegal operation. Ad2
Investigators suspect that the duo smuggled non-duty-paid Bhutan liquor into India in small quantities and stored it in abandoned or vacant houses for later bulk distribution, deliberately choosing such locations to evade detection. They are believed to be key members of an organized illegal liquor smuggling network operating in the Birpara area.
The estimated value of the seized liquor is ₹16,44,300. Further investigation is underway to identify and take legal action against all individuals involved in the illegal trade.
