Noida (UP), May 25 (PTI) As many as 85 people were arrested and over 1,700 litres of illicit liquor seized during an anti-hooch campaign run by the police in Uttar Pradesh's Hathras district, officials said on Tuesday.

Superintendent of Police Vineet Jaiswal said 'Operation Prahaar' was started in the district on May 7 and two big illegal liquor manufacturing units and four smaller ones have been busted during a fortnight of the campaign.

"As many as 85 people involved in the illegal business have been arrested during the raids and 1,700 litres of illicit liquor, including foreign-made, seized from their possession," the district police said.

"Another 400 litres of hooch was destroyed by the police and 600 litres of rectified spirit seized during the operation while tools and equipment, packaging material recovered in large number in the raids," it said.

The Hathras police said it has started an awareness campaign among the locals with an objective to check illicit liquor and hooch trade in the district.

"Around 250 'chaupaals' have been organised in villages as part of the campaign and public address systems used in towns to create awareness," it said.

'Operation Prahaar' came in the wake of at least six people dying and another half a dozen falling ill allegedly after consuming hooch in Hathras in April, according to officials.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)