Excise Department officers have carried out three major raids inside the Colombo Port City, seizing stocks of liquor allegedly being sold and transported without the required licences.
An Excise official said the raids were conducted by officers of the islandwide Special Operations Unit following instructions from senior Excise Department officials.
One of the raids targeted a luxury boat operating from the Port City, which was allegedly taking groups out to sea for parties while carrying liquor without a licence.
According to the official, the boat charged between Rs. 40,000 and Rs. 60,000 and catered to groups including Sri Lankan, Indian and Chinese nationals.
Excise officers who had remained in the area intercepted the vessel and arrested a suspect along with the liquor allegedly being transported without a permit.
In a separate raid, officers targeted a restaurant operating within the Port City and recovered a large stock of liquor that was allegedly being sold without the required licence.
Another establishment was also raided after officers found that it allegedly possessed liquor beyond the scope of its licence, which was limited to beer.
A total of three suspects were arrested in connection with the operations and are expected to be produced before the Fort Magistrate’s Court.
The seized items included bottles of premium liquor, with the official saying some Rémy Martin bottles were valued at more than Rs. 50,000 each, as well as stocks of beer and other alcoholic beverages.
The Excise Department urged the public to provide information on establishments selling liquor illegally or without licences, saying such operations affect government tax and Excise revenue. (Newswire)
