Police raid fake toddy plant at Marawila

by Jayampathy Jayasinghe

A potent fake toddy that endangers the health of people was detected by the police when they raided a liquor manufacturing plant at Marawila last week.

The fake toddy manufacturing plant was busted with the arrest of a multi- millionaire businessman and two employees of a large scale illegal toddy manufacturing plan, by the police Central Anti Vice Striking Force (CAVSF) last Wednesday.

Three suspects were produced in court and bailed pending further investigations. OIC CAVSF Inspector Duminda Balasooriya said the plaint will be filed against the three suspects in courts tomorrow.

Police found 12,470 litres of Unlawfully Manufactured Liquor (Goda) along with 99 sacks containing sugar, 200 packets of yeast, ammonia utensils, urea, salt, yeast and four water motor pumps in the premises.

The ingredients were used to manufacture the fake toddy (Goda) in the premises. Police also found four 2,500 litre barrels, five 800 litre barrels and thirteen 200 litre barrels at the plant.

The modus operandi of the toddy manufacturers was to mix 100 litres of fake toddy (Goda) with five litres of genuine toddy to give it a toddy flavour, Inspector Duminda Balasooriya said. Inspector Balasooriya said when kassippu was manufactured instead of genuine today it endangered the health of people. "We raided this place as it was a grave health hazard to persons who consume such liquor."

Police said around 4000-5000 litres of fake toddy were manufactured per day and supplied at this plant to a distillery in Negombo during the past five years. The raid was conducted by the CAVSF officers in the wee hours of Tuesday morning under the instructions of IGP Victor Perera, and DIG Staff, Police Headquarters, D. A. Fonseka and ASP L. Ranaweera.