Seven days of abstinence

Sunday Crime by Jayampathy Jayasinghe

In a bid to curb the sale of liquor and other forms of illicit liquor during the Vesak week and the Buddha Jayanthi celebrations, all liquor bar outlets throughout the country were closed for a period of seven days commencing May 9 - 15 as a mark of respect on the instructions of the President, Mahinda Rajapaksa. Despite the much publicized prohibition on liquor, several persons were taken into custody by the Excise Department officers for violating the law.

The Excise Commissioner (Crimes and Training) D. G. M. V. Hapuarachchi told the "Sunday Observer" in an exclusive interview that the bulk of the strength of the Excise Department had to be mo bilised country wide to keep a tab on restaurants and liquor outlets to ensure strict compliance of the directive. "We had to detail around 600 Excise Officers country wide to enforce the ban on sale of liquor during this period."

He said several persons who violated the Excise law were taken into custody and were charged in courts. The Excise Department had detected 1810 cases relating to illegal storage and sale of liquor during this period. Meanwhile 55 restaurants scattered throughout the country in areas such as Colombo, Galle, Bentota and Matale had been sealed by the Excise Department for violating the Excise law.

Referring to the case where a Pradeshiya Saba member of the Uva Province had caused obstruction to the OIC of the Boralanda Excise station, he said the case is being investigated by the Welimada police.

The incident took place after a decoy of the Excise Department had purchased a bottle of arrack for Rs. 650 from an unauthorised person at Boralanda. When the person who sold the arrack was arrested by the OIC Excise station, a Pradeshiya member of the Uva Province who stormed into the Excise Station had forcibly removed the suspect from custody along with the bottle of arrack. Later the OIC Excise Station had made a complaint to the Welimade police.

Welimada police when contacted said the Padeshiya Sabba member was arrested last week for causing obstruction to the OIC, Excise Station. The suspect was produced before court and was bailed out. "We have to seek the advice of the Attorney General in this matter," police said.

Excise Inspector Jayantha Silva attached to the Excise Headquarters said the largest detection was made at Maharagama where Excise officers on a tip-off raided an unauthorised premise and detected 4000 bottles of arrack stored. Four suspects involved in the racket were produced before the Kesbewa Magistrate's Court who imposed a total fine of Rs. 415,000.

He said the second biggest detection was at Kurunegala where Excise officers raided an unauthorised premise where 3000 bottles of arrack were seized. Three suspects who were arrested were produced before the Kurunegala Magistrate who imposed a fine of Rs. 250,000/- Meanwhile, the excise department had seized 75 vehicles that included three wheelers, vans and lorries from areas such as Colombo, Ratnapura, Kegalle and Matara for transporting liquor during May 9-15.

The vehicles have been produced in court. Meanwhile, two suspects were taken into custody at Rajangana for possessing 57 bottles of Unlawfully Distilled Sprits (UDS) during the prohibition period.

The suspects were produced before court and remanded till investigations are completed. During this period around 150 illicit places in the country was raided by the Excise officers.

Meanwhile, ASP V. Ranaweera of the Central Anti Vice Striking Unit at Panadura said during the Wesak and Buddha Jayanthi week they had detected 110 cases of Unlawfully Distilled Sprits (UDS), 24 cases of sale of arrack and 18 cases of ganja and heroin. He said, on a tip-off the Cental Anti Vice Striking Unit officers had excavated a silver Buddha statue last week at Uhana in the Ampara area.

The priceless statue is believed to be stolen along with 112 "Gaja-Muthu". The Anti Vice Striking officers have received further information regarding stolen treasure, he said.