KOCHI: The excise department and coastal police have intensified search operations along the coastal areas of Ernakulam to prevent flow of illicit liquor ahead of the Onam season. With this, teams of excise and police have started surprise checking of boats on the coastal stretch from Vypeen to Munambam.
Officials said that sea patrolling was done based on specific intelligence input on illicit spirit being smuggled into Kerala from Karnataka and Goa. Unlike the conventional method of transporting liquor by road, sea routes using fishing boats will help smugglers to bypass checking.
The coastal police have created Kadalora Jagratha Samithy with the support of fishermen community to prevent smuggling of illicit spirit to the state through sea routes.
“There are high chances for illicit liquor flowing into the state as bars except five-star category are not permitted to serve hard liquor. We have intensified surveillance in the area,” said M K Santharam, circle inspector police, coastal police, Fort Kochi.
According to K Suresh Babu, deputy excise commissioner, the difference in tax structure for liquor in other states and union territories like Mahe is the main reason for the flow of spurious liquor into the state. “There are over 30 distilleries operating on the Karnataka-Goa border. Boatyards in Ernakulam can be a transit point for smugglers to supply illicit liquor to other districts,” he said.
