Buys cheap liquor from Karnataka and sells at high price in Kerala; Excise intensifies search

KASARAGOD: Ahead of Onam celebrations, huge quantities of liquor are flowing from Karnataka to various parts of Kasaragod district. Manjeshwar Excise department has intensified inspections to nab liquor smuggling gangs.

The excise team was conducting a vehicle inspection at the Vamanjoor check post and arrested a youth with 303 litres of Karnataka-made liquor in a Maruti car. Bharat Raj (30), a resident of Panyal, was arrested. When the car was stopped and searched, 303 litres of liquor were found stored in cardboard boxes. The car and liquor were taken into custody.

Manjeshwar Excise seized liquor worth lakhs of rupees during the last three months at the Vamanjoor check post. Four days ago, 72 litres of liquor and Rs 24,500 were seized in a car at the same place. Cheap liquor is brought from Karnataka and sold for huge sums. Excise has received information that gangs smuggle large quantities of liquor through Karnataka border areas like Bayar, Paivalike, Muligadde and Chevar. Inspection will be strengthened in these places. Excise Inspector M Yunus, Preventive Officer V S Sajeev and civil excise officers K Rama, K Binoop, Akhilesh, V B Shabitlal, and driver K Satyan were part of the team that seized the liquor yesterday.