The Kerala Excise Department has registered 2,332 cases and arrested 715 persons in the first seven days of its Onam Special Enforcement Drive, a statewide crackdown on illicit liquor, spirit, drugs, and tobacco products that began on 1 August 2025. The drive, running through 5 September, is timed ahead of the traditional harvest festival of Onam, which is set to begin on the 23rd of this month.

Scale of the Crackdown

In just seven days, enforcement teams conducted 3,157 raids across the state and seized 41 vehicles linked to the registered cases. Of the total cases, 1,450 were filed under the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA), 618 were Abkari (excise) violations, and 264 were drug-related offences.

Major Spirit Seizures

Two significant illicit spirit hauls were reported in the opening week. The Payyannur Excise team seized 7,000 litres of illicit spirit, while the Angamaly Excise team recovered 1,200 litres in a separate operation. Investigations into both cases are ongoing, according to the department.

Multi-Agency Operations and Control Rooms

The drive is being conducted in coordination with the Police, Forest Department, Revenue Department, Railway Protection Force (RPF), Coastal Police, and the Food Safety Department. Border check-posts have been placed under heightened surveillance, and coordination meetings are being held with enforcement agencies in neighbouring states to curb interstate movement of illicit liquor and narcotics.

A 24-hour state-level control room has been established at the Excise Commissionerate in Thiruvananthapuram under a Joint Excise Commissioner, staffed by a special eight-member team including two Excise Inspectors. District-level round-the-clock control rooms are functioning under Deputy Excise Commissioners across all districts.

Targeted Campaigns and Public Outreach

The department has intensified Operation Shudhi, focused on toddy and toddy shop inspections, and Operation Thunder, designed to escalate broader enforcement activity. NDPS detection kits — enabling preliminary narcotic detection including through saliva samples — have been distributed to all districts. Special surveillance has been stepped up around schools, colleges, and educational institutions during the Onam period.

Public participation is being encouraged through Excise Janajagratha Samithis at ward, panchayat, and district levels. Awareness programmes under the 'Mayangilla Kerala' campaign are being conducted, covering prevention, enforcement, awareness, de-addiction, and rehabilitation.

Excise Commissioner Sreeram Sambasiva Rao urged citizens to report complaints about liquor, drugs, or tobacco products to the district toll-free number 155358, assuring that the identity of complainants would be kept strictly confidential. With Onam weeks away, the department's enforcement tempo is expected to remain high through the festive period.