More than 2037 raids during booze bar period

Rasika Somarathna

COLOMBO: Excise Department sleuths carried out more than 2037 raids and took into custody, contraband worth over Rs. 15 million along with 2,225 persons, for violating the liquor ban imposed by the Government during the Vesak season.

The raids were continuing as the Government imposed liquor ban lapses only on May 6. An Excise Department spokesman told the Daily News 2225 people arrested upto yesterday, would be produced before courts.

Excise officers arrested two persons yesterday with a haul of cannabis weighing 52 Kgs from Hambantota. The two men will be produced in courts.

Five offending outlets with legal liquor licences which had abused the ban, were from operating by Commissioner General of Excise Parakrama Bandara Ekanayaka, till a proper inquiry is conducted.

In the course of these raids, Excise officers have seized 2920 bottles of illegal spirit, 10,981 bottles of illicit liquor\toddy, 5,080 bottles of legally permitted liquor and 106 Kg of cannabis.

Ekanayaka said the Department has taken steps to strictly impose the ban with a large number of officers deployed throughout the country to carry out raids against offenders.

Successful raids have been carried out throughout the country with the highest number of 356 raids coming from the Western Province Central province - 320, Eastern - 116, North - 73, North Western - 63, Wayamba - 277, Sabaragamuwa - 177, Southern - 305, and Uva - 121 were the other provinces where note worthy detection took place. In addition 169 raids were conducted by the Colombo and Kandy special Units.

According to Excise sources there has been an unprecedented rise in the raids this year which they attribute to public information note worthy.

According to an Excise spokesman about 90 per cent of raids were as a result of tip offs from the public.