Excise officials seize 150 kgs of polythene

Excelsior Correspondent
KATHUA, Feb 16: Ongoing with their efforts to curb evasion of Toll Tax , the officials of Excise Department detected 150 Kgs of Polythene from an Atlo Car bearing registration No. JK08A-9022 today that was on its way to Lakhanpur.
The smugglers, having adopted the new method of carrying goods in private car, entered the State from Punjab.
The front of the car was bearing sticker regarding exemption from payment of toll, being a resident of area within 15 kms of Toll Post. The driver along with vehicle and polythene has been handed over to Pollution Control Board, Kathua for further necessary action at their end.
In another case, a team of Excise Department apprehended a Mohindra Jeep bearing Registration No. JK08A-3971, that was clandestinely moving through the Magar Khad area, an illicit path adopted to avoid clearance at Toll Post Lakhanpur.
The vehicle was chased and on physical check, it was found to be carrying Spare parts. Penalty/Toll amounting to Rs. 33,000 was recovered by the Excise Department.
The vehicle was referred to Commercial Taxes Department for further action under J&K VAT Act. Earlier, major penalties were imposed on two vehicles bearing registration nos. PB05N 8251 and PB35F 7326 loaded with vegetables and bricks and fine of Rs. 72083/- and Rs. 64350/- respectively were recovered, said Deputy Excise Commissioner Toll Post Lakhanpur, Rajesh Sharma, who personally supervised both the operations.
It is pertinent to mention here that during the first fortnight of February 2016, 42 Toll evasion cases were detected and penalty amounting to Rs. 3.30 lakh realized.
Meanwhile, under the active supervision of Deputy Excise Commissioner (Executive), Jammu Mohammed Shahid Saleem, Excise Team Kathua under the command of ETO, Sandeep and ETO, Eradication, Suresh raided the Parsochak and Kundechak area of Kathua district to arrest the menace of illicit distillation. More than 600 kgs of Lahan and forty pouches of illicit liqour made from a lahan, which is highly hazardous & injurious to health, were also recovered during the raids conducted which were later destroyed by the team on spot.