Police bust fake liquor unit, arrest 4, seize 1,500 empty bottles

COIMBATORE: The Prohibition Enforcement Wing (PEW) sleuths on Friday busted a fake liquor unit with the arrest of four persons in Erode. The accused S Malairaj (34), P Ashok Kumar (33), M Chithiravel (27) and Veerapandian (51) alias ‘Annachi’, all hailing from different areas in Ramanathapuram district, had run a mini distillery by renting out a godown in Choolai area.

They produced spurious liquor by mixing rectified spirit with colouring agents, bottled them and sealed them with caps using two machines to make them appear as original. Police got a tip, when Kumbakonam police seized fake liquor bottles a few days ago and launched a search for Veerapandian, the mastermind.

Police tracked his mobile number to be active in Erode. Under Erode SP V Sasi Mohan, a police team stormed into the godown and arrested the accused. Police seized 1,500 empty bottles, 50 bottles with spurious liquor, one litre of rectified spirit and two machines.