Impact of world's largest 'prohibition experiment' in Eastern India

ABC NEWS (Australia)

Some 130 million people in eastern India have been unable to buy alcohol under what's been called the world's largest 'prohibition experiment'. But it's resulted in a thriving bootleg industry with deadly consequences.

Transcript

00:00Station house officer Sanjit Kumar has received a tip about a brewing operation.

00:07Sanjit relies on informers to track down the hidden locations.

00:12He is living in forest and giving all information to police.

00:17This is dense and unforgiving terrain.

00:47The informant has found something.

00:59Please, come here.

01:04This is full.

01:07Oh my God, it stinks.

01:10It's 2,000 litres of fermenting country liquor.

01:19And how long has this been here for?

01:21Four days or five days before.

01:23A mix of mahua flowers, unrefined cane sugar and methanol to speed up the process.

01:29And you'll destroy this now?

01:31No, now we will destroy these things, otherwise he will start.

01:43These illegal set-ups are cash machines, producing 1,000 litres a day and raking in $40,000 a month.

01:53As soon as one is shut down, another springs up in its place.

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