Spirits of a different kind

Police raid notorious hooch distellery:

The marshy land at Othe-Kele, Korala-Eliyawatte located in the Ja-Ela area has become a ha ven for illicit Kassippu dealers for many years. The inaccessibility of the marshy swamp had been the main reason for illicit hooch dealers to set up operations there. They know that they could bury hundreds of barrels containing Kassippu in the soggy mud.

The Kassippu bosses knew that it was a gruelling task for the Police and Excise Department men to search for these barrels buried in the deep mud. The soggy marshy land was treacherous and any one wading through the mud risked the chance of being buried alive.

A few yards away from the soggy marshy land was the distillery where thousands of bottles of illicit brew were distilled for a day. According to police estimates Othekele was one of the biggest distilleries in the country. The extent of the marshy land was around 200 acres surrounded by thorny foliage.

Each distillery produced around 50 barrels of illicit liquor per day

The raid at Othe-kele

There are several canals running through the land. It was an inhospitable terrain for intruders. Beyond the soggy land lay several factories and lodging houses of factory employees. There were pig sties run by people in the area. The canals brought in filthy polluted water which was used for distilling illicit liquor.

The conspicuous thing to anyone travelling along on the Gampaha - Miniwangoda main road on an evening were plumes of thick black smoke rising towards the sky. They came from big distilleries located at Othe-Kelle -Korala-Eliya swamp. Each distillery produced around 50 barrels of illicit liquor per day. A distillery was manned by four to five employees.

The employees came from impoverished towns in distant villages. They were employed by a wealthy businessman who paid them handsomely. It was revealed that each man earned around Rs 2500-3000 for a day for distilling 50 barrels of Kassippu. The men sweated throughout the day mixing ingredients in iron barrels to manufacture a brew called Goda (Liquor).

They had to bury these barrels in the deep mud for several days until it was fermented. Thereafter the men wade in the mud and the waterways to retrieve these fermented barrels for distillation. Distillation was done by burning Keschu (Caju) husks and fire wood. When the distillation process ends the men had to deliver the newly manufactured spirits to a henchman of the businessman at an arranged spot.

According to OIC of the Central Vice Anti Striking Force, Inspector Dumiunda Balasooriya Kassippu dealers often change collecting spots to avoid police and Excise men pouncing on them suddenly.

The spirits are usually despatched to collecting spots by means of tractors, lorries and vans. The men have been warned often by their bosses not to fall prey to Police and Excise men and to be vigilant at all times.

Precautions taken by Kassippu bosses was to employ men as watchers and to provide them with cellular phones to tip off when a raiding party enters their territory.

The men are found all over Othekele and in Kora-Eliyawatte keeping a watch around the clock for suspicious vehicles. When they notice a suspicious vehicle entering the territory they promptly alert their counterparts at the distillery.

The men then destroy equipment and illicit liquor before fleeing the scene. It had been a daunting task for policemen to raid the Othekele, Kora- Eliyawatte for several years due to inaccessibility. Every move of Police and Exciseman were being watched by paid hands.

The worst scenario was when a Police or Excise Dept vehicle intrudes into Othekele- crackers were being lit by henchmen of kassippu barons to warn of Police or Excise presence. It had been revealed that around 10,000 litres of Kassippu has been manufactured daily at the Othekele distilleries. The distilled liquor was then transported in luxury vehicles to townships in Colombo, Kandy, Kalutara, Anuradapura for distribution.

According to Inspector Balasuriya police have opened fire at vehicles on several occasions at Checkpoints when they disobey orders and drive on without stopping. Several Chauffeurs have been killed during the past few years. It was revealed that Chauffeurs were briefed by their bosses to proceed without stopping at checkpoints to deliver hooch to their counterparts.

"A Chauffeur is usually paid around Rs. 5,000 per day for the job." he said. Last week a police party led by OIC of the Central Anti Vice Striking Force Inspector Duminda Balasooriya and 40 of his staff raided the OtheKele distilleries and detected a haul of Goda and distilled sprits valued at more than Rs 25 lakhs.

The stuff included 405 barrels each containing 45 gallons of Goda (Unlawfully Manufactured Liquor) and 1170 bottles of Kassippu (Unlawfully Distilled Sprits ) and distilling equipment worth more than Rs 22 million. Following the detection three people were taken into custody by the Central Anti Vice Striking Force. Four police teams headed by a sub Inspector of police participated in the raid.

According to Inspector Duminda Balasuriya the distillery had been manufacturing around 5000 bottles of Kassipu per day which are taken in tinted luxury vehicles to distant places like kandy, Galle Anuradhapura and in the Western province for distribution.

The men involved in the manufacturing of Kassippu have been paid Rs 2000/- , OIC Balasuriya said. Meanwhile police said a wealthy Businessman from the area was involved in the kassippu manufacturing operation.

Under the Mathata Thita concept initiated by President Mahinda Rajapakse to eradicate drugs and illicit liquor, IGP Victor Perera instructed DIG Staff, D.A. Fonseka and SSP Jayantha Perera to raid the notorious illicit hooch distillery at Othekelle.