NAMAKKAL: A total of 400 liquor bottles from Goa and Puducherry were seized by Namakkal district Prohibition Enforcement Wing (PEW) officials in two different incidents on Friday.
After a tip-off, the Namakkal PEW officials conducted vehicle checks on the Namakkal-Erode state highway, when they waylaid a car that was overspeeding. Suspicion arose when the driver was questioned. And when grilled further, he confessed to having smuggled 120 bottles of IMFL (Indian-made foreign liquor) from Goa.
“Police arrested S Ramesh Babu, 46, of Sathankadu in Erode and officials seized the 120 liquor bottles along with his car,” R Sakthivel, superintendent of PEW (in-charge), West Zone told TOI. He further said that the low-priced liquor bottles were sold at much higher rates in Namakkal and surrounding areas.
The same team also arrested another liquor smuggler near Namagiripet in Namakkal. N Rasi Murugesan, 51, of Namagiripet was caught for selling Pondicherry IMFL liquor in the black market. “Officials seized 280 liquor bottles worth 1 lakh from his house,” Sakthivel said and added that the liquor that was sold for 60 per bottle in Pondicherry was hiked up and sold for 250 to 300 depending on the customer’s demand.
Namakkal PEW officials registered two cases against them and have initiated investigations. Both the accused were produced before the judicial magistrate of Namakkal court and later lodged at Salem Central Prison.
