COLOMBO: Sri Lanka loses a whopping Rs. 6,000 million to its government coffers due to the importation of foreign liquor through illegal means, sources said.
The government is denied a considerable slice of funds which it could use for development. The Special Narcotic Raids Unit established under the purview of the Finance Ministry has been able to round up several racketeers in the business, they said. A Special Narcotic Raids Unit was set up following a proposal by Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake to totally control smuggling of narcotics and foreign liquor. It was also revealed that the law had not been implemented against such racketeers during the past regime.
A raid on Sunday to apprehend a large stock of illegal foreign liquor from Dematagoda was also made possible following investigations carried out for a long period. The Special Task Force on a tip-off received by the Finance Ministry Special Narcotic Raids Unit, conducted the raid where 950 bottles of smuggled foreign liquor were discovered.
One suspect was arrested in this connection. Excise Department officials are conducting further investigations. Finance Ministry Special Narcotic Raids Unit Head Wing Commander Ravi Jayasinghe said he suspects the racket of importing foreign liquor through illegal means might have been carried out for a long period. He said this contraband is the largest stock of foreign liquor local authorities have ever seized in the recent past.
The Special Narcotic Raids Unit, since it was established recently, has been receiving a number of tip-offs with regard to similar rackets.
