The Hindu : Spirit trade, a challenge to police

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Feb 14, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Coimbatore

Spirit trade, a challenge to police

WITH THE toddy season coming to an end in neighbouring Kerala, there has been an increase in the demand for arrack and low-cost liquor there. This has led to increased movement of rectified spirit from Karnataka to Kerala via Tamil Nadu.

One litre of rectified spirit sold for Rs. 14 to Rs. 20 in Karnataka fetches anywhere between Rs. 90 and Rs. 120 in Kerala. This high margin lures more traders into the activity posing a challenge to the law enforcement machinery.

Hosur in Krishnagiri district, Gudalur in the Nilgiris district (for entering Kerala via Nadukani and Wayanad), Thimbam near Sathyamangalam in Erode district, happen to be the entry points and KG Chavadi and Pollachi in Coimbatore the exit points for such consignments.

Though the trade does not have much impact in Tamil Nadu, police officials are not willing to take any chances for the simple reason that even if a part of the consignment was pilfered en route, it would result in manufacturing of spurious liquor in the State. This would also have a serious impact on the offtake of liquor in the State-owned Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (TASMAC).

Special teams were formed on the directions of the DIG of Police, Coimbatore, Ashutosh Shukla, to check the smuggling. These teams positioned at various points on the National Highway No 47, recently seized huge quantities of rectified spirit by intercepting a Kerala-bound lorry at the Kaniyur check post in Karumathampatti. "This equals what was seized in 2002 and 2003 put together," pointed out the DSP, Nandakumar.

The consignment with 11,935 litres of rectified spirit was being smuggled from Karnataka to Kerala. The entire consignment including the vehicle was estimated to be worth Rs. 19 lakhs. The lorry driver Benny and cleaner Francis, both hailing from Kerala, were arrested while the hunt for the consignor at Majestic Circle in Bangalore and the consignee in Kozhikode was on. For the first time, six smugglers were detained under the Bootleggers Act.

A couple of weeks ago, the PEW police led by the Superintendent of Police, Erode district, P. Balasubramanian, seized a lorry ferrying 7,000 litres of rectified spirit.

A comparison of the PEW performance reveals that the seizures and arrests have been on the rise every year. The enforcing agency focused on the border areas in Erode district including Rayarpalayam, Varappalayam, Meenkuttai, Seyur, Sirumugai, Bhavani riverbed and Bhavanisagar to curb prohibition offences. As much as 1.62 lakh litres of illicitly distilled arrack were seized during last year as against the 95,584 litres the previous year. Similarly, fermented wash destroyed in 2002 was 72,775 litres while it had gone up to 1.17 lakh litres during 2003.

Seizure of rectified spirit during 2003 was 6,360 litres as against the 6,020 litres the previous year.

As many as 193 vehicles were seized in 2003 as against the 141 in 2002. Those detained under the Bootleggers Act stood at 44 in the year 2003 as against the 36 the previous year.

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Spirit trade, a challenge to police