Over 1,700 errant liquor dealers arrested during Vesak
Rasika Somarathna
COLOMBO: The Excise authorities have arrested over 1,700
individuals who had plied the trade during the Vesak week ignoring the
ban on liquor sales imposed by the authorities, Commissioner General of
Excise Parakrama Bandara Ekanayake said.
The Excise Dept. deployed special teams to conduct raids throughout
the country, as a result they had carried out 1,550 raids and had seized
more than 20,000 bottles of liquor during this period and they also have
sealed over 50 liquor shops. Investigations are now on to ascertain the
possibility of cancelling the licences issued to the errant liquor
shops, Excise sources said.
Meanwhile as a result of the ongoing raids Excise officers arrested
the owner of the now defunct Wayamba Distillery in Kurunegala along with
liquor worth about Rs. 3 million operating without a licence.
Speaking to the Daily News the Commissioner of Excise said that those
who were arrested would be produced before Courts and where the Excise
Dept. is concerned he would take stern action against anyone who defied
the ban without fear or favour.
The Commissioner conveyed his gratitude to the public for complying
with the request to provide information. |