KOCHI: Amid concerns of hooch sales heading for a festival high, Excise officials in Ernakulam have been on their toes to check the anticipated rise in spirit smuggling and illegal brewing.
The other day, Excise sleuths busted an illegal brewing unit being operated from a forest area in Kuttampuzha village on the eastern outskirts of the district. Acting on a tip-off, the sleuths raided the location and seized 30 litres of spurious liquor and around 200 litres of vash.
According to officials, it was just among a dozen large-scale illegal brewing units being run in villages. Similar cases were reported from the district in the first week of April.
“They are making good of the opportunities arising from a recent abkari policy change, which has left most parts of the district dry. This has triggered concerns of an emergency situation, and a special drive has been launched accordingly,” said A.K. Narayanan Kutty, Deputy Excise Commissioner.
For instance, the suburbs of Muvattupuzha, Kothamangalam, Perumbavoor, and Kalady have been left without a single beer parlour or a beverages outlet, thanks to the new policy.
The Excise Department in association with the Coastal Police will carry out surprise checks in boats and canoes used for fishing off the sea from Kochi to Munambam. The step follows a specific intelligence input on illicit spirit being smuggled into Kerala from neighbouring States through sea routes to bypass checkpoints and road patrols.
Meanwhile, officials also pointed to the recent trend of liquor rackets targeting isolated houses in crowded industrial areas.
Official estimates suggest that the average number of Abkari cases per month has risen from 120 to about 200 in the ongoing year. The number is expected to go up further during the next couple of months.
