New Delhi [India], October 10 (ANI): YSRCP Rajampet MP P V Midhun Reddy has written to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, seeking urgent central intervention to curb the manufacture and circulation of spurious liquor in Andhra Pradesh. He stated that the racket has grown into a large-scale, organised interstate crime and can no longer be treated as a local law and order issue.

In his letter, which was dated Thursday, MP Midhun Reddy warned that fake liquor made with toxic chemicals like methanol is endangering human lives. The MP claimed that several incidents of poisoning and fatalities have been reported in Andhra Pradesh and neighbouring states, adding that the poorest consumers are the worst victims as they are misled by counterfeit bottles sold under the labels of reputed brands.

'I wish to draw your urgent attention to the incident of busting a fake liquor manufacturing network, with its operations detected at Mulakalacheruvu in Annamayya district of Andhra Pradesh, which falls in my Rajampet Parliamentary constituency. This incident reveals the alarming rise in the manufacture and circulation of spurious Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) in Andhra Pradesh, which poses a grave threat to public health, safety, and the integrity of law enforcement,' the letter said.

'In recent major enforcement operations conducted over the past six months, a big dump of bottles across the state was seized from clandestine manufacturing units by the state departments. Those units were found to be equipped with counterfeit IMFL labels, caps, and packaging materials imitating reputed liquor brands. Preliminary investigations reveal that the arrested individuals are part of a larger organised network operating across districts and possibly state boundaries, exposing the depth and sophistication of this illicit trade,' read the letter.

Midhun Reddy pointed out that recent enforcement operations have exposed illegal units, including one at Mulakalacheruvu in Annamayya district, which falls within his constituency. He said that large quantities of counterfeit liquor bottles, caps, and packaging materials have been seized, and preliminary investigations indicate links to an organised network spanning multiple districts and state boundaries.

The MP urged the Union Home Ministry to order a CBI probe involving the Narcotics Control Bureau, State Police, Excise, CBIC, and FSSAI. He also emphasised the need for enhanced monitoring of industrial alcohol, prevention of its diversion for illicit purposes, and improved intelligence sharing between states to effectively dismantle the spurious liquor mafia. (ANI)