Puducherry has been witnessing a different scenario when it comes to liquor of late -- smugglers are now busy bringing alcohol into the Union Territory from Tamil Nadu instead of the other way around.
Puducherry has traditionally been a ‘wet pocket’ with incidents of smuggling of the brew from the UT to neighbouring districts of Tamil Nadu. Lower prices of liquor of high-end brands in the UT and a differential tax structure have been the triggers for the smuggling of IMFL (Indian-made foreign liquor) to Tamil Nadu over the years.
But now, with the liquor outlets remaining closed in the former French outpost, while shops have resumed business in the neighbouring districts of Tamil Nadu, smugglers have been busy bringing in the contraband from Tamil Nadu to Puducherry.
A police officer said that the situation was reversed due to the COVID-19 lockdown. “As many as six cases have been registered so far in Thirukkanur, a border area and 12 persons including two from Tamil Nadu and 10 from Puducherry have been arrested for smuggling the contraband,” he said.
Thirukkanur, located close to the inter-State border is more sensitive and virtually gives a facile entry, while the UT has more than 82 entry points with Tamil Nadu.
Police said that nearly 143 bottles were seized in the past one week. Cases were registered under the Excise Act.
Puducherry is now under lockdown on par with the national scenario and no decision has been taken so far by the territorial administration on reopening of liquor shops, due to the delay in finalising the rate of COVID-19 tax to be fixed on IMFL.
Although there is no Prohibition Enforcement Wing (PEW) in Puducherry, the duty of the local police has now become onerous and equivalent to what they would do if there was a dry Law in the UT.
