Kollam: In a major haul, the Kollam excise team seized 595 litres of spirit and arrested a person here on Wednesday. He was identified as Rajimon, 40, of Kunnil veedu, Murikkumpuzha, Pala. According to Kollam excise CI B. Suresh, the accused transported spirit in 15 cans having a capacity of 35 litres each in a mini lorry. The cans were covered with empty fruit crates in five layers.
The vehicle was also confiscated. The spirit, when converted into liquor, is worth Rs 10 lakh in the market, according to officials. The team was conducting checking in view of the coming Assembly elections as directed by Kollam deputy Excise commissioner V.R. Anilkumar.
A new modus operandi has been adopted by the spirit mafia in the state. The spirit originally was from Palakkad. The driver will not be aware of the person who will come and collect the spirit. Based on certain symbols, the vehicle will be taken by the second person and it will be returned after two hours to the driver who brings it from Palakkad. The seized spirit belongs to the category of extra neutral alcohol used for manufacturing spurious foreign liquor.
