The police have busted a notorious illicit liquor manufacturing racket in two separate raids conducted on two rented houses at Paipad near Kunnamthanam and Peringara near Thiruvalla during the past 24 hours.
The police raid party was jointly led by K.Sreekumar, Circle Inspector of Changanacherry; Nishadmon, CI of Mallappally; Azad, and Jayaprakash, Sub-Inspectors.
The raid party has seized illicit liquor filled in 98 bottles of various popular brands of Indian-made foreign liquor (IMFL), 160 litres of illicit spirit, colouring and flavouring agents and hundreds of empty bottles of various IMFL brands from a rented house at Paipad on Wednesday night.
Two persons, Krishnankutty Nair, 61 and his wife, Radha, 57, who were staying at the rented house were also arrested in the raid. Both of them were produced before the court in Changanacherry, later, on Thursday afternoon, said Mr Sreekumar.
The raid was on the basis of a telephonic tip-off received by Mr K.N.Rajeev, Deputy Superintendent of Police in Thiruvalla the other day.
Mr Sreekumar said the main accused, Jayakumar, 40, of Ovammannil house at Vellappalli near Paipad, was absconding and the police have launched massive search operation for him.
According to him, the modus operandi of the accused was making fake rum and brandy of popular brands by colouring raw spirit and adding flavor to it. The accused has been supplying illicit liquor made by adding colour and flavor to raw spirit, filled in empty bottles of popular IMFL brands for vending it through various bars in Pathanamthitta and Alappuzha districts, police said.
Talking to The Hindu , the DySP said the police have also seized 20 bottles of illicit liquor duped as popular brands of IMFL from another rented house of Jayakumar at Peringara near Thiruvalla on Thursday.
