• Wine stores and bars selling liquor with forged stickers targeted during the raids

By Kurulu Koojana Kariyakarawana

In a series of multiple snap raids carried out over the weekend, the Department of Excise has seized a large stock of local liquor bottles with forged security stickers from Northern, North Central and Eastern Provinces. According to department sources, the series of snap raids had been conducted by special Excise teams that were deployed from other areas of the country and led by four Assistant Excise Commissioners. 

A number of wine stores and bars selling these stocks of local liquor with forged revenue stickers affixed were found in the areas of Jaffna, Mannar, Valaichchenai and Trincomalee.

Several thousand bottles of alcoholic beverages, especially arrack, belonging to a range of local liquor manufacturing companies were seized during the raids and had been handed over to the respective Excise stations in the areas.

When contacted a senior officer at the Excise Head Office told the Daily Mirror that they had received samples of the seized liquor for testing purposes to determine their authenticity.

Allegations were levelled against the tender awarding of the printing of the revenue security sticker to an infamous foreign company on numerous occasions during the past few years and the matter was brought up in the Parliament too.

Parliamentarians Harsha de Silva, Patali Champika Ranawaka brought this up in special House committees, whilst State Finance Minister Ranjith Siyambalapitiya stated that the government is losing about Rs.60 billion annually due to the forged security sticker scam.