By Zafar Abbas

New Delhi, Sep 15 (IANS): Continuing its crackdown on illegal liquor sales in the national capital, the Delhi police has destroyed 16,262 quarter bottles of country-made illicit liquor, seized in various Excise department raids in South district.

The liquor bottles were crushed using a JCB in an open area, following an order from the Excise department.

During its crackdown, the police arrested a bootlegger on Sunday and seized 1,100 quarters of illicit liquor from him in Tigri police station area in South Delhi.

During interrogation, the accused disclosed that he was residing in a rented house and worked as a daily wage labourer. On enquiry, the house owner was found to be a bad character of the area involved in more than 20 cases under the Excise Act.

Earlier on September 12, two bootleggers were arrested in two separate incidents and around 2,030 quarters of illicit liquor in 41 cartons were seized. Police also seized two vehicles from their possession.

"During interrogation, one of the accused disclosed that he was transporting illicit liquor to one of the suppliers in Delhi. He further disclosed that he was getting Rs 20,000 each month," said a senior police officer.

South East Delhi police also launched a crackdown on illicit liquor on September 13 and confiscated 624 quarters of illicit liquor with the arrest of three bootleggers in three separate raids -- Badarpur, New Friends Colony and Okhla Industrial Area.

On September 12, in Dwarka, 95 quarters of illicit liquor were seized in Chhawla and one accused was nabbed.

"On the same night , in Baba Haridas Nagar ERV staff intercepted a car and arrested the driver after the recovery of 44 cartons of country-made illicit liquor from the vehicle," police added.