KOCHI: Sensing an imminent statewide lockdown in the state following the second wave, interstate ganja smugglers have become active. Hooch makers have also joined the bandwagon after liquor stores shut down. Last week, after the government announced restrictions, nearly 300 kg of ganja brought from neighbouring states was seized by the excise. T A Asok Kumar, excise deputy commissioner, Ernakulam, said that ganja peddlers have started stocking up contraband in large quantities fearing inter-state travel restrictions.
“The excise special squad has seized over 150 kg of ganja from a pick-up truck that was used to ferry mangoes from Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. A similar seizure was made in Palakkad. There are attempts to pump in maximum quantity of ganja before the interstate roads are closed to traffic. Mostly, peddlers rely on trucks and goods carriers for this,” he said.
The excise department has strengthened its intelligence networks to curb the supply of ganja and drugs. “Roadside checking affects the movement of goods as the entire load in trucks have to be unloaded to inspect,” Asok said.
Illicit liquor on the rise
Excise seized 600 litres of wash (the fluid brewed to make illicit liquor) from Kalady on Thursday. One person was arrested from North Paravur and 40 litres of wash were seized. The excise authorities have formed special squads to crack down on hooch makers.
A senior excise official said that the illicit liquor lobby had enough to brew hooch on May 2, when the election results were announced. “We have gathered information on persons who have purchased goods like jaggery used for preparing wash. There will be a spike in Abkari cases again,” he said.
In total, 4,80,965 litres of wash, 6,816 litres of arrack and 23,182 litres of spirit was seized in 2020. Similarly, 2,767 kg of ganja was seized across the state. Apart from this, 4.8 kg of hashish oil, 3.16 kg of charas, 73 gm of brown sugar, 39 gm of heroin and 10.55 gm of cocaine were seized by the excise department last year.