: There has been an increase in smuggling in of Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) from Mahe after the State government decided to close down bars and observe Sunday as “dry day.”
Since the check-posts between Mahe and Kozhikode mainly screen goods movement, small players in the trade, who mainly make use of private vehicles, manage to cart away the product for illegal trade.
The smugglers thrive as there is great demand from buyers who are ready to pay the asked sum. The youth too have started falling prey to this quick means of profit.
Prohibitionists point out that hundreds of vehicles shuttle between Kannur and Kozhikode via Mahe. The police and Excise Department find it difficult to screen all the vehicles.
“They manage to check only goods carriers. A proper mechanism should be worked out to screen all other vehicles too.”
Some taxi drivers too were reportedly emerging as carriers of IMFL.
Dry daysAccording to officials in the Excise Department, most of the illegally procured liquor bottles were sold during dry days, as buyers would be ready to pay additional money. Allegations have also been raised over the increased use of these smuggled bottles to pep up celebrations and private get-togethers, they said.
Railway Police officials reveal that many a time they were helpless to net the transporters of IMFL by train as they kept it away from their compartment.
“During checking, we find IMFL packets left abandoned. In such cases, we can only take these products into custody,” the officials claimed.
Alert officialsWhen contacted, Excise Department officials said they were alert to all the possibilities of smuggling IMFL from Mahe to various destinations in Kozhikode. “We have asked the checking squads to be vigilant to curb the practice. All recent smuggling cases were traced by the Vigilance, who worked on the basis of tip-offs from various sources,’’ the officials said.
