Large cache of foreign liquor seized

KANCHEEPURAM: In an effort to bring to book the traffickers of contraband liquor in Kancheepuram district, a 22-member police team on Saturday night took to custody a man, Vellaisamy, identified as a cashier-cum-marketing executive of a warehouse in Sriperumbudur that stocked Indian-Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) and foreign liquor, totally valued at Rs 10 lakh.The Oragadam belt in Sriperumbudur which is frequented by a large number of foreigners, is a lucrative market for both IMFL and original foreign liquor. ADSP S N Umayal, who was heading the 22-member anti-contraband squad, said the foreign items had been openly sold from a retail outlet here,  but the liquor bottles were kept out of view. “In fact, the dealers were trying to shift their stock to a safer place,” explained Umayal.The exotic items seized included a grand total of 322 bottles of foreign liquor and around 6,600 tins of beer, including brands like Tennent’s Pilsner from the UK and Indian Kingfisher.Speaking on the success rate in cracking down such cases, SP Manoharan, told Express that illegal trade was not a new phenomenon here, but has been kept in check due to the meticulously planning of the police, to tackle the crime.