Continuous Excise raids in NCP

Nimal WIJESINGHE- Anuradhapura Additional District Group Correspondent

The Excise Department has embarked on a continuous raiding campaign in the Anuradhapura district to nab the moonshine distilleries and transporters and large scale sellers of Kassippu.

The North Central Province (NCP) consists of three major excise stations: Anuradhapura, Kebithigollawa and Polonnaruwa. Anuradhapura Headquarters Excise Inspector D H K Anura said that areas like Kekirawa, Dellegama, Eppawala, Kebithigollawa, Senapura, Kahatagasdigiliya and Horowpothana are notorious for distilling illicit hooch.

In a recent raid a three-wheel driver who is also the owner of the vehicle was detected transporting 24 bottles of beer and 20 bottles of Government arrack in the Mahabulankulama area. He was produced before Anuradhapura Chief Magistrate Dharshika Wimalasiri and fined Rs 75,000 on pleading guilty.

Excise sleuths said that he had previous convictions and was selling unlicensed spirits at his village boutique. In another incident a person was nabbed in Ihala Halmillewa in Eppawala for illicitly brewing kassippu. Excise officers had seized 27 bottles of unlawfully distilled spirits, 12 barrels goda and brewing apparatus.

The suspect was find Rs 61,000 by the Tambuttegama Magistrate.

The raids were conducted by Excise Inspector Rangana Susantha supported by Sgt Seneviratne, Excise Guards Ranjith Jayasundara, U K Wedhanda and Jagath Kulasinghe on the instructions of NCP Assistant Excise Commissioner Gamini Adikari.