CCD raids sophisticated distillery in Nagoda house

Illicit spirits worth Rs.10Mn, bottling plant seized 

By Kurulu Koojana Kariyakarawana   

Colombo Crime Division (CCD) raided a sophisticated liquor distillery operating in a two-storied house in Nagoda, Kalutara last evening and seized a bottling plant and a stock of arrack worth over Rs.10 million, the police said.   

The CCD sleuths acting on special information, raided the premises in Heenatigala, off Nagoda town and apprehended nine suspects including four females, who were at the site as employees.   

A senior CCD official told the Daily Mirror last night, that the large house had been used to operate the illegal business, manufacturing illicit liquor similar to the popular brand ‘Extra Special Arrack’ or ‘Gal Arakku’.   

The police also found a vinegar and coconut treacle manufacturing plant in the premises, which had been functioning as a front to the illicit liquor distillery.   

Amongst, the seized items were 16 barrels of Ethanol, 4,000 quarter bottles of arrack, 10,000 empty quarter bottles to be refilled and over 40,000 bottle caps.   

These items were recovered at various stages of the distillery such as the distilling point, refilling point, labelling point and bottle cap sealing point, the official said.  According to sources, the place had been raided twice previously by the Police Special Task Force and the CCD for selling ‘Kasippu’ a few months back, but the premises had not been developed to the extent of this sophisticated liquor bottling plant.  Although the prime suspect had been arrested in a previous bust, he was not found at the site during the time of the latest raid.   

OIC CCD Chief Inspector Eranga Fernando and his team IP Prasad Ratnayake, SI Dewage, SI Maduranga, PS 11705, PS 61115, Police Constables 3473, 8023, 8478, 2290, 2204, 3609, WPC 11054 and PD 91111 under the instructions of SDIG Western Province Deshabandu Tennekoon, Director CCD SSP G J Nandana and ASP Neville de Silva.