Police get tough on booze smugglers

 

Last September police seized a total of 51,000 bottles of illegal beer and alcohol from GMG Co in Dawpon Township while carrying out an inspection. The case is one of six cases involving smuggling and is still under investigation by the customs department.

“We sent a letter to the custom department quite some time already to verify but there is no response yet. So we cannot proceed with a charge,” said an official from Dawpon Township Police Station.

According to police, there are many similar cases of alcohol smuggling that they are not able to prosecute yet because of pending investigations. 

Last December, police seized more than 90,000 alcohol and wine bottles from Premium Food Service Products which is related to City Mart, one of the biggest supermarket franchises in Myanmar. 

The seizure of over 2,000 illegal bottles of alcohol bottles in Mingaladon Township and a seizure at Quarto Product Company in Shwepyitha Township are still pending.

In the latest case, in January two people were found guilty of smuggling Ks 50 million worth of alcohol and beer and sentenced to 15 days in jail plus a Ks 50,000 fine. The Bayintnaung Police Station announced that three people were arrested, two were charged and one was released.

“We will proceed to take the action against the one who got out under existing law,” said a police official connected with the case.

Commerce Minister Win Myint reportedly said that liquor, beer and wine will soon be allowed to be imported into Myanmar, after the tax issue is finalised. He said that overtaxing can lead to smuggling, while under-taxing can encourage free flow of drinks into the country.

Myanmar has put a ban on alcohol imports to protect local producers.  

There are state-owned beer and wine factories in Myanmar, but the Myanmar Investment Commission has also allowed permits for foreign beer companies to operate here, subject to scrutiny by respective state and regional government authorities.

According to the Ministry of National Planning and Economic Development, local alcohol and beer manufacturing was 24.8 million gallons in the 2011-2012 fiscal year. During the 2013-2014 fiscal year, 25.2 million gallons of alcohol and beer were produced within nine months up to the end of December. A study showed that 31 per cent of Myanmar males consumed alcohol, against 1.5 per cent among females.