KOTTAYAM: The excise department has arrested a gang of youths for distilling arrack under the cover of night. Vineet Biju, Amal MS from Kottayam Perur and Kannan VM from Vaikom were arrested.

They were arrested based on information from the IB. They were arrested along with three litres of arrack, 75 litres of koda and smoking equipment in a raid conducted at the house of Hariprasad, a native of Perur, at around 1:30 am.

The pet dogs were unleashed and intimidated by the excise team that came for the inspection, however the officials the officials got hold of the dogs. Following this, the owner of the house attacked the Excise officials and ran away. The rest of them were subdued by the officers with much effort. Preventive Officer Anu V. Gopinath, who was seriously injured in the scuffle with the house owner, is under treatment.

EE & ANSS Office Preventive Officers Binod KR, Anu V Gopinath, Kottayam EI & IB Preventive Officer Ranjith K Nanthikat, Civil Excise Officers Hamlet, Rajitkrishna and Vanitha Civil Excise Officer Vijayarashmi attended the search party.