By Kurulu Koojana Kariyakarawana   

Sri Lanka Police have escalated its operations to crackdown production and sale of illicit spirits in the country, in the backdrop of Excise revenue generated from licensed liquor sales plunging, as opined by subject minister Ranjith Siyambalapitiya.   

The police have carried out a series of raids recently in countrywide locations to bust major illicit liquor brewing dens including in Ekala, Moragahahena and Ratnapura areas, where millions worth of Kasippu and Goda were seized,  police sources said.   

Peliyagoda Divisional Special Crime Investigation Unit following a lengthy surveillance that had lasted for a weeks, had managed to raid the Ekala illicit liquor distillery in Othel Kele, which had intercepted a massive distribution network in the areas of Jaela, Kandana, Wattala, Mabola and Mahabage.   

Moragahahena Police raided a moonshine den carried out in a remote rubber estate and had seized illicit spirits worth over Rs.2 million with two suspects whilst Kahawatta Police nabbed five suspects after raiding a Kasippu brewing hideout in Malankanda area in Ratnapura last week.   

State Minister of Finance Ranjith Siyambalapitiya, who oversees the Department of Excise, recently quoted a World Health Organisation (WHO) report in the Parliament that the illicit liquor production in Sri Lanka has grown by 300%.   

Although, the local liquor production has grown by 95 per cent since 2004 to 2016 the legitimate liquor industry had grown only by 50 percent, the Minister pointed out.   

Meanwhile, the Spokesperson for the Department of Excise, Commissioner Kapila Kumarasinghe recently said that the expected Excise revenue for the year 2023 would plunge by 35 percent.   

One of the chief reasons for the illicit liquor industry to thrive well in the country has been identified as many consumers switching from authorized spirits owing to its exhorbitant prices as a result of heavy government taxes.   

• One of the reasons for the illicit liquor industry to thrive in the country has been due to many consumers switching from  authorized spirits owing to its exhorbitant prices as a result of heavy  government taxes
• Police have carried out a series of raids countrywide  to bust major illicit liquor brewing dens including in Ekala,  Moragahahena and Ratnapura areas
• According to a WHO report  illicit liquor production in Sri Lanka has grown by 300%