TRAPPED: The lorry tanker which was carrying rectified spirit from Hyderabad to Kochi confiscated by Excise officials at Ongole on Tuesday.

ONGOLE : Excise officials here on Tuesday seized an oil tanker carrying illegally 11,000 litres of rectified spirit from Gaganpahad near Hyderabad to Kochi in Kerala. While the seized brew was estimated to cost Rs. 3.3 lakhs, the 10-wheel lorry was worth about Rs. 10 lakhs.

Excise officials were surprised to find the modus operandi of the bootleggers in hiding the brew in the oil tanker and carrying the same in a cinematic fashion.

Kerala elections

Excise Superintendent Anasuya Devi told newspersons that they suspected illicit transport of liquor because of the ongoing elections in Kerala and Tamil Nadu. So, they stepped up vigilance and deployed four teams to check vehicles going on the national highway.

The team stationed at Ongole intercepted the oil tanker at 6 am on Tuesday. On questioning, the lorry driver told the officials that it was an empty vehicle. The officials grew suspicious as the lorry seemed to be laden with some load. The lorry weighed 19 tons confirming their suspicion that it was carrying something illegally.

On close examination, they found to their surprise that the tanker had two chambers. While one chamber was empty, the other was neatly loaded with 313 plastic cans carrying 35 litres of brew each.

Excise officials in Ramavarappadu questioned the Tamilian driver who said that he did not know either the owner of the lorry or the owner of the material. All that he said was that he was handed over the vehicle at Gaganpahad, on the outskirts of Hyderabad, by some unknown persons who asked him to take the vehicle to Kochi.

They asked him to leave the vehicle near the Hindustan Petroleum refilling station on the outskirts of Kochi from where, they said, the owners would pick it up.

Excise officials also seized a cell phone from the driver. Ms. Anasuya Devi complemented the Circle Inspector Nathaniel and Sub Inspector B. Sreenivasulu for the seizure. She said that both the brew and vehicle would be confiscated.

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