Colombo Excise seize Rs.7.5Mn worth devil’s brew from Muthurajawela swamp

• Officials from the Colombo Excise Station following a lengthy probe conducted the raid in an interior marsh in a thick mangrove grove in Muthurajawela

By Kurulu Koojana Kariyakarawana

Colombo Excise Station busted a major illicit liquor manufacturing distillery carried out in the depths of Muthurajawela swamp and seized a large quantity of Kasippu worth over Rs.7.5 million yesterday.   

The officials from the Colombo Excise Station following a lengthy probe conducted the raid in an interior marsh in a thick mangrove grove in Muthurajawela in Uswetakeiyawa and seized over 75 barrels of Goda (semi brewed liquor) and over 5, 000 bottles of distilled spirits.   

Several suspects who were engaged in the illicit distillery had managed to flee the scene and withdraw to the thick marshes upon the arrival of the Excise teams.   

The Excise officials took action to destroy the seized barrels and equipment used for the production of the illicit spirits.   

Under the instructions of the Assistant Excise Commissioner Western Province 1 Jayantha de Silva, the detection was conducted by Superintendent Colombo City 1 Thilak Dissanayake, Inspector Deshapriya, Sergeant 703 Wijesekara, Corporals 716 Bandara and 1141 Ramitha, Guard 1060 Gayan and Driver Nimal with 1913 Excise Emergency Unit officials IP Siriguptha, Corporals 817 Ramanayake, 868 Deshapriya, 897 Nugethenna, 915 Aruna, 926 Shameera and Driver Asanaka.   

The seized stock is to be produced before Wattala Magistrate’s Courts.