2006-05-17

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.