Excise laws flouted to evade tax

Rasika Somarathna

Southern Special Detection Bureau excise sleuths made several successful raids last week with one such case baring an attempt at tax evasion by an owner of a luxury hotel in Tissamaharama.

The exposure came as sleuths arrested three suspects travelling in a luxury vehicle along with 96 bottles of liquor in Demberawawa, Tissamaharama recently.

Investigations revealed that the cache was being taken to a hotel in the area and the vehicle seized had belonged to the resort's owner's son.

According to Excise sources, although the hotel owner had a valid licence to sell liquor, he had bypassed protocol and instead of buying from authorised wholesale dealers, had bought the stock from sub-traders in an attempt to evade tax.

Excise sources said the suspects were fined Rs. 50,000 and subsequently the vehicle was released being subjected to a Rs. 500,000 bond.

Officers also seized 390 grams of Cannabis and the suspects fined Rs. 49,000, sources said.