Eleven people were arrested and 2,000 litres of fermented wash destroyed in a raid conducted by the Forest Department officials in Tiruvannamalai district on Wednesday.
In one operation, the police unearthed two tanks, each containing 500 litres of fermented wash, near Karadimalai in Vettavalam. The team conducted search operations in Thandarampattu, Polur, Chengam, Cheyyar and Tiruvannamalai. Over 300 litres of illicitly brewed liquor were seized and four vehicles confiscated during the raids.
The illicit trade is prevalent in Alangayam, Pernambut, Ambur, Gudiyatham, Vaniyambadi, Tirupattur and Jamunamaratur. The hilly terrains provide cover for the bootleggers, according to sources from the police and forest departments.
“The focus is more on awareness. Besides conducting raids, we are spreading awareness, appealing to people not to entertain those engaged in illicit liquor trade,” said Superintendent of Police, M.R. Sibi Chakkaravarthi. Similar efforts are being made by the forest officials too. They are asking the residents to share information on suspicious movement of strangers in the reserve forest areas.
“This is only the tip of an iceberg. Bootleggers rake in money, exploiting people’s addiction to alcohol. They shift their locations frequently to evade arrest. Even if they are caught, they will be booked under Goondas Act, which means a year’s jail term. Once they come out they start business as usual,” said a social worker from Vellore.
A senior police official from Tirupattur said the drive against illicit brewing had been intensified in two or three neighbouring districts and across State borders.
