An illegal liquor racket operating in the same manner as drinking bottle production

Officers of the Western Province North Crimes Division have successfully raided a large-scale illegal liquor manufacturing plant operating in the Sudarshana Mawatha area of Kaduwela, under the guise of a legal bottled drinking water business, and arrested six suspects. This special raid, conducted last Saturday, was based on confidential intelligence received by police officers.

Police investigations have revealed that this liquor racket was operated in a very subtle and secretive manner, presenting itself to the outside world as a legitimate water business.

The stock of illegal liquor taken into police custody during this successful raid includes 18,575 locally produced liquor bottles with a capacity of 180 ml, with the total amount of liquor recorded as 3,345.5 liters. In addition, officers also found four one-liter bottles labeled as foreign liquor and one 750 ml bottle. Among the items seized at the raid location were a set of equipment used for distilling liquor, a bottle suspected to contain ethanol, and 50 grams and 200 milligrams of Kerala Ganja.

The six suspects apprehended by the police are individuals aged 30, 43, 58, 59, and 62, and they are residents of Maradana, Wattala, Mihintale, Dakkunu Webada, Sippikulam, and Getalawa areas. The Western Province North Crimes Division has currently expanded further investigations into whether illegally produced liquor from this large-scale commercial operation was distributed to other parts of the island.