The closure of Tasmac liquor retail shops ever since the shutdown has hit the addicts hard. Many have turned to almost anything that contains alcohol, often with disastrous results. Spotting this as an opportunity to make a quick buck, a few in Tiruneermalai, once a haven for hooch makers, have started preparing arrack. They do this in the hilly area or in the lakebed. A few days ago, the Shankar Nagar police had arrested two men while they were preparing arrack. On Saturday, two persons identified as Dilli Ganesh (34) and Venkatesan (38) were arrested for preparing arrack in Tiruneermalai. On Monday evening, the police used a drone camera to scan the hill, farmlands and lakebeds to check if any were preparing arrack.

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