The Prohibition Enforcement Wing (PEW) of the Cuddalore district police have employed a drone to keep tabs on tipplers who have been sourcing alcohol illegally during the current lockdown.
“We have now employed a drone to keep an eye on the villages of Chavadi, Marundhadu, Alagiyanatham, Commandanmedu and Vaanpakkam located close to the inter-state border with Puducherry.
The drone can fly up to 500 metres and cover an area of 1 km. This will also enable the PEW personnel to monitor remote locations and take quick measures to curb sale of alcohol during the lockdown,” a police official said.
A senior officer of the PEW said that though liquor shops have been shut down, there have been several instances of tipplers sourcing alcohol in ‘black’ from arrack and liquor shops located close to the border.
With TASMAC outlets across Tamil Nadu shut down due to the lockdown, the availability of liquor has reduced drastically. But in their desperation to buy alcohol, tipplers have been sourcing liquor in ‘black’ from shops in neighbouring Puducherry. Tipplers have been contacting agents through the phone in Puducherry, who have been delivering the contraband clandestinely. Though the outlets in Puducherry are also closed, the tipplers have managed to source the liquor and arrack from people who have hoarded alcohol before the lockdown came into force.
As many as 10 liquor shops and four arrack shops are located close to the inter-state border near PEW check posts at Alpettai, Commandanmedu, Vaanpakkam, Chavadi, Mel Kumaramangalam and Kandarkottai.
The PEW police have booked 221 cases, arrested 76 persons and impounded 20 vehicles for violating prohibitory orders across the district since the lockdown.
