Anti-vice units joint operation:

Major crackdown on illicit hooch dens

It was a combined operation with the Police Special Task Force (STF), the Police Marine Division and the Central Anti Vice Striking Force (CAVSF) that was responsible for busting up several illicit hooch dens in Wennappuwa and the Marawila areas last week. The operation which commenced on 15th November at 12 m.n. went on for nearly 12 hours until the barrels filled with Goda was retrieved from the Gin -Oya basin when day-light fell on the following day.

This was a unique operation where both the STF Commandos and the Marine Division’s assistance was sought to eradicate the fast growing illicit hooch menace that had taken root in the North Western province. According to sources the manufacture and sale of illicit liquor have become a multi million dollar business these days owing to increased Excise levies on locally manufactured liquor such as arrack and beer that is consumed mostly by the common people. According to police the noxious brew manufactured at Wennappuwa and Marawila finally finds its way to bars in the city of Colombo and suburbs where the stuff is mixed up with local liquor and served to unsuspecting customers. The liquor dealers make a good profit out if when it is mixed up with genuine liquor.

Destruction caused to pristine forest cover.

However following several petitions sent by the area residents, IGP Mahinda Balasuriya ordered the crackdown on illicit liquor and directed the STF and the Marine division to assist the CAVSF in a search operation and apprehend the suspects involved in the trade. DIG, Staff at Police Headquarters Mahesh Samaradivakara and Director CAVSF, Superintendent of Police D.S. Karunanayake was instructed to take follow up action.

It was a dusk to dawn operation that commenced last Monday around 1 a.m. at the Walana Vice Squad (CAVSF) headquarters at Panadura. The operation was launched following the deployment of two police teams consisting of 41 policemen from the CAVSF, 36 STF commandos and two policemen from the Marine Division with two mechanised boats. The Director CAVSF, Superintendent of Police V. Karunanayake instructed both teams to proceed to Wennappuwa and Marawila and conduct to raids on the illicit hooch dens in the area. The police teams were led by OIC, CAVSF Inspector Duminda Balasuriya. Sub Inspectors Janaka Kumara, Kulatunga and Dharmasiri of the CAVSF also participated in the raids. ASP Abayakoon led the police Special Task Force (STF).

He was assisted by Chief Inspector Kodituwakku. Both teams arrived at Wennappuwa and Marawilla in the wee hours of the morning and began the search operation right away. The raiding party at Wennappuwa searched the land area below the Waikkala bridge that extended up to the estuary where the Gin-Oya meets the Indian Ocean. They found seven large illicit distilleries located in the area. The first distillery to be raided was closer to the Waikkala bridge where police discovered 130 barrels containing 158,440 grams of Unlawfully Manufactured Liquor (UML) commonly known as “Goda” and 65 bottles of Unlawfully Distilled Spirits (UDS) known as “Kasippu” along with nine iron spirals used in the distillation process. The total value of the seized Kasippu was worth around Rs750,000 police said.

Meanwhile two men found at the distillery were taken into custody following the discovery of Kasippu. While the raid was on two more suspects fled the spot. They have been identified as wealthy Kasippu merchants from the area who financed the operation. Police said legal action will be taken against them in due course. Meanwhile hundreds of Goda barrels securely buried in the Gin-Oya tributaries were retrieved and brought ashore in boats provided by the Police Marine Division. “We found seven distilleries in the area extending from the Waikkala bridge up to the estuary. The bootleggers transported the distilled hooch ashore in plastic containers by using mechanised boats to bring them ashore. Severe environmental damage have been caused to foliage in the vicinity by the distillation process where plants have withered and burnt due to excessive heat,” police said.

While the Wennappuwa hooch distilleries were being raided, the second police party despatched to Marawila and raided a luxury mansion of a millionaire businessman at Koswadiya in the wee hours of the morning.

Retrieving barrels containing illicit hooch from Gin-Oya.

Police found 10,500 litres of “Goda” in the house about to be sold as pure coconut Toddy to their dealers. Police said the businessman had been engaged in manufacture and sale of fake Toddy to customers over a long period of time. The Goda was found in ten plastic cans each containing 900 litres. Along with the haul of Goda 25 packets of yeast and five kilograms of Ammonia used for the manufacture of fake toddy was found at his home. The Goda was bottled up and sold as genuine toddy through a network of dealers. “Although the liquor dealer had a licence to sell toddy what he sold was Goda branded as toddy to deceive people. He made a huge profit by resorting to this illicit venture", police said.

The police party then proceeded to Kudaweva at Walahapitiya in the Marawila area where they raided a house around 6.15 a.m. and found a stockpile of 720 litres of toddy. Police had prior information that the chief occupant of the house used to mix goda with toddy and sell it as pure toddy. Police said that action will be taken against the suspect, although he had a permit to collect toddy. Toddy worth Rs. 800,000 were recovered in both raids conducted at Marawila.

Last month the CAVSF raided illicit liquor distilleries at Waikkala stretching from the Thoppuwa bridge to the estuary, a distance of six kilometres. Eighty barrels of “Goda” worth several lakhs of rupees was recovered.

A suspect was taken into custody following the raid. The thriving illicit liquor business was financed by three millionaire businessmen from Wennappuwa who owned a fleet of passenger buses and luxury tourist coaches, Police said.