Kohima, Sep 24 (IANS): During a two-hour-long state-wide "surprise checking", thirty people were arrested and around 9,600 bottles of liquor of various brands were seized from different places of Nagaland, which has been a dry state for around 35 years, police said on Tuesday.

A senior police official said in Kohima that in coordinated and simultaneous raids by the District Executive Forces and different battalions of Nagaland Armed Police around 9,600 bottles of liquor of different brands were seized from 14 districts.

The official said that 28 cases were registered in various police stations and 30 persons were arrested under the Nagaland Liquor Total Prohibition (NLTP) Act, 1989.

An official statement of Nagaland police said that it would be the endeavour of the state Police to fully implement the NLTP Act and the actions against selling/storing illegal liquor would continue in future too.

“The fight against the sale of illegal liquor can come to fruition with the cooperation of the public. Therefore, the Police Department seeks the participation of all citizens in checking the flow and sale of liquor by giving information to the concerned SPs of the respective jurisdiction or to the Police headquarters about any related illegal activity taking place,” the statement said.

The state cabinet headed by Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio recently decided to study the NLTP Act with the possibility of partially lifting the prohibition in certain areas of the dry state.

However, the government plan was strongly opposed by many civil society organisations, churches and some tribal organisations.

Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio told the assembly during the monsoon session that the government wanted to relax the prohibition in some areas but not repeal the law.

Nagaland Chief Minister during the recent Assembly session informed that the government would decide on modifying the 35-year-old liquor prohibition law after discussing it with civil society organisations, common people and churches.

Participating in the discussion in the state assembly on ‘Health Hazards of Spurious Liquor’, several members expressed concern about the failure of implementation of the NLTP Act to regulate the flow of liquor in the state.

The members had told the house that spurious liquor is now available in many parts of the state and also in local shops opened near the Assam-Nagaland border, causing health hazards among the people of the state.