Goa, Aug. 31 -- Goa Forward Party (GFP) President and Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai has raised alarm that Goa is on the verge of being branded the liquor smuggling capital of India. In a strongly worded letter to the state's Finance Secretary, Sardesai described the situation as a betrayal of public trust and a crime that robs lives, revenue, and Goa's reputation. He warned that what was once petty bootlegging has now evolved into a corporate-style criminal economy worth thousands of crores, fuelled by Goa's low-tax liquor regime and enabled by enforcement failures.

Sardesai highlighted that smuggling networks have transformed Goa into a national hub for the illegal liquor trade, with well-established routes through Polem beach, the Cotigao...