730 held for liquor smuggling over 5 months as new excise policy takes shape

The Excise Department of the Delhi government on Sunday announced that it arrested 730 people and registered 725 FIRs over the last five months, seizing 2.20 lakh bottles of illegal liquor and 197 vehicles in a major bid to crack down on the illegal liquor trade in the Capital.

Reacting to the development, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said that the Delhi government was following a zero-tolerance policy towards the illegal liquor trade and was working on an effective excise policy.

“The government is working on a new excise policy aimed at strengthening public safety, ensuring responsible regulation of the liquor trade, maintaining quality and increasing government revenue,” the CM said.

In the corresponding period from April to August in the financial year 2025-26, the department had arrested 312 people, registered 315 FIRs, recovered around one lakh bottles of illegal liquor, and seized 112 vehicles.

Ms. Gupta added that the government’s priority was to ensure adequate availability of legal liquor during festivals so that Delhi residents do not face any inconvenience, while also effectively curbing the sale and smuggling of illegal liquor.

According to the department, Delhi shares geographical boundaries with neighbouring states and has around 70 entry points, both large and small.

“Enforcement activities would be stepped up further in view of the upcoming festive season in Delhi. The department aims to take strict action against those involved in the illegal liquor trade while also ensuring the availability of liquor through legal channels in the city,” a statement from the CMO said.

The sale of liquor has been a highly contentious political issue in Delhi over the past few years, following the arrest of senior Aam Aadmi Party leaders over a new liquor policy introduced by the Kejriwal government. The new policy was ultimately scrapped and the old regime was brought back.

Checks on emissions

Meanwhile, in a video statement, Ms. Gupta announced all pollution testing centres in the city will be upgraded to effectively check emissions.

Noting a technology gap, she said private vehicles use petrol pump booths while commercial ones rely on outdated certification systems. To strengthen monitoring, every centre will be equipped with cameras. New automated stations in Tehkhand and Nand Nagri will each test 72,000 commercial vehicles annually.

Arpan centres

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Sunday said that over 41 tonnes of old clothes have been collected at Delhi Metro’s 10 Arpan centres and turned into useful products. These centres help residents who struggle to store or properly dispose of old garments.

As of August 31, 3,940 people deposited 41,181 kg of clothes. Self-help groups are using the material to make items like rugs, bags, and pouches, recording total sales of ₹27,036, according to a statement from the Chief Minister’s Office.

“Our effort is to make it easy and convenient for people to donate old clothes and ensure their maximum utilisation, thereby further strengthening efforts to make Delhi cleaner, more beautiful and greener,” Ms. Gupta said.

Five centres were launched on August 3, while the remaining centres became operational on August 12 and 17.

The government plans to expand the initiative by opening 10 more centres in January 2027 at major metro stations, including INA, Rajouri Garden, and Dwarka Sector 10.