Police Confiscate Over 1,000 Containers of Illegal Whisky Disguised as Medicine
Police were notified after illegal whisky was found in medicine containers in this country. (Photo: AP Photo/Hermann J. Knippertz, File)
Police in Haryana, India seized 1,100 pouches of illegal whisky disguised as medicine, according to Jagran. The Hindi news outlet reported on Tuesday that the whiskies were bound for the Indian state of Bihar.
The illegal whiskies were reportedly picked up from a private company in the town of Manesar in six large boxes. The boxes were filled with thousands of packages of whisky, disguising the liquor as medicine. They were discovered to be filled with Indian-made whisky by the local post when the packages were scanned at the facilities, who informed the police immediately.
Local officials pressed charges against the company for violating excise laws and attempting to ship the whisky to a dry state.
Police are actively pursuing the investigation, and said according to the outlet that they would reach out to employees at the private company who sent the illegal whisky but did not reveal any further details.
Prohibition and Its Consequences in India
The Times of India reported in March 2022 that India was the largest consumer of whisky in the world.
As of May 2023, India’s population consumed approximately 1.5 billion liters, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
Yet, some states within the country, specifically Bihar, Gujarat, Nagaland and Mizoram, have banned all booze.
Prohibition has had a lengthy and interwoven relationship with India’s history. The National Library of Medicine cited domestic violence and alcohol abuse as a significant reason for implementing Prohibition.
Yet, the India Times cites that Prohibition can lead to thriving black market liquor businesses, where opportunists sell illegal liquor — sometimes with deadly consequences.
In December, tainted bootleg liquor killed more than 30 people in Bihar and left survivors blinded. Alcohol has been illegal in Bihar since 2016 when women’s groups campaigned for Prohibition. The groups cited that a lot of working-class employees were spending their income on alcohol and domestic violence as reasons for pushing the initiative.
Class differences also factor into the effectiveness of Prohibition the India Times cites. Wealthy and upper-class individuals are still able to afford illegal yet safely made alcohol. Often, Prohibition’s most deadly effects are reserved for the class it is trying to protect: the lower class.
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