Delhi’s Excise Department has registered 725 FIRs and arrested 730 people in a five-month crackdown on the sale and smuggling of illegal liquor, with enforcement action rising sharply from the same period last year.
Between April and August this year, officials seized 197 vehicles allegedly used to transport illegal liquor and recovered around 2.20 lakh bottles, according to the department’s enforcement data. The figures are significantly higher than those recorded between April and August 2025, when 315 FIRs were registered, 312 people were arrested, 112 vehicles were seized and around one lakh bottles were recovered.
The enforcement drive comes as the Delhi government prepares for the festive season, when it expects demand for liquor to increase. Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said the government was adopting a zero-tolerance approach towards the illegal liquor trade and would continue strict action against those violating the law.
“The Delhi government is following a zero-tolerance policy towards the illegal liquor trade,” Gupta said. She added that the government was working on a new excise policy focused on public safety, responsible regulation, quality and revenue generation.
The Excise Department has attributed Delhi’s vulnerability to liquor smuggling partly to the city’s geographical proximity to neighbouring states and its around 70 large and small entry points. Its enforcement wing has been maintaining surveillance along these routes and taking action against people allegedly involved in the illegal trade.
The action has also extended to licensed liquor establishments. The department has registered seven FIRs in cases involving alleged violations at such premises. Authorities have sealed establishments, imposed fines and initiated other legal proceedings, although the report did not specify the individual establishments or the nature of each alleged violation.
The government’s stated approach combines enforcement against illegal supply with efforts to maintain availability through legal channels. Gupta said the administration would ensure adequate supplies during festivals through retail outlets operated by government corporations and through on-premises establishments such as hotels, clubs and restaurants.
The increase in cases, arrests, vehicle seizures and recovered bottles indicates a wider enforcement operation than the one recorded during the corresponding period last year. The available figures, however, do not establish how many cases resulted in convictions, how much illegal liquor entered Delhi through each route, or whether the seizures represent a change in the overall scale of the illicit market.
The department is expected to intensify surveillance and enforcement as the festive season approaches, while the government works on the proposed new excise policy and seeks to regulate legal supply.
