A seven-member inter-state gang was arrested on Wednesday for smuggling and selling duplicate Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) bottles in and around Arakkonam. The police seized 370 duplicate IMFL bottles, a mini-lorry and a two-wheeler from the gang.
Acting on a tip-off, a police team attached to Arakkonam Taluk Station along with personnel of a special branch of the district police, conducted a vehicle check along the Tiruthani-Arakkonam Road during the early hours of Wednesday.
The team intercepted a mini-van with registration number TN 58 M 9729 at Thanigaipolur and conducted a check and found 370 bottles of duplicate IMFL packed in plastic bags and hidden in the vehicle. The police arrested the driver of the van Rajesh Kumar (27) of Bangalore and his associate Ravi (42) of Arakkonam and took them for inquiry. On inquiry, the duo spilled the beans. “The gang was operating from Bangalore with the help of sales agents in Ranipet, Arakkonam and Sholinghur. They bottled illicit liquor after adding colouring agents and selling it as IMFL during dry days and temple festivals here,” said Inspector of Arakkonam Taluk Station J Jawaharlal.
They told police that they transported illicit liquor on two occasions during polling day. They were selling each bottle for `200 to `400. “Based on the demands, they fixed the price of illicit liquor,” said DSP of Arakkonam A Kannappan.
Police arrested sales agents Selvaraj (34), Gajendran (53), Muthumani (50) and Saranakumar (23) of Paruthipudur and Ramesh (280 of Ammanur and launched a manhunt for Lakshmikanthan of Venkatapuram and Chinnapillai of Ammanur.
A case was registered against the seven and they were remanded to the Vellore Central Prison.