Liquor smuggling bid foiled after hot chase

VILLUPURAM: Prohibition Enforcement Wing (PEW) sleuths on Sunday managed to foil an attempt by two persons to smuggle fermented wash, used for manufacturing illicit liquor, after a high-octane chase on the East Coast Road near Marakkanam.

The scene straight out of a Kollywood flick unfolded at Anumandhai on Puducherry-Tamil Nadu border, where the sleuths had posted pickets after receiving a tip-off about a liquor smuggling attempt. In the evening, the officials flagged down a mini-lorry, but the driver jumped the picket and gave the sleuths the slip. Though the officials gave a chase, they failed to intercept the lorry. Immediately, an alert was passed on to nearby pickets and patrol vans. When the PEW team reached the check posts at Periyamudaliyarchavady and Puthupattu, they could not find the mini-lorry and continued trailing it.

As minutes passed by, without any sign of the mini-lorry, the officials were mulling giving up on the chase when they saw the vehicle moving at Thazhangadu near Marakanam. The team immediately caught up with the mini-lorry and stopped it.

On inspecting the vehicle, the sleuths did not find anything contraband. However, their suspicion was aroused when the two occupants gave evasive replies to their queries. On being grilled, the two persons confessed to having made an attempt to smuggle fermented wash into Tamil Nadu. They later told the policemen the location where they had buried the contraband.

The officials took the two persons to the shore at Tahazhangadu and retrieved 750 litres of fermented wash stored in 30 sacks. The contraband was later seized, along with the vehicle used to transport it. The duo was later arrested. The arrested were identified as Nagaraj (35) and Anadhakumar.

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