3 youth nabbed in Kasaragod for smuggling 1500 litres of spirit from Karnataka

Kasaragod: Three men were arrested while smuggling 1500 litres of illegal spirit from Karnataka to Kerala in a mini lorry, eying the Onam market. The vehicle too has been seized by the authorities. VC Thomas (25), a native of Kanjirappally, Kottayam. Kasaragod Adukathbayal native Anush (24) and Pranav of Nellikunnu (24) were nabbed by the police team led by Inspector P Nalinakshan.

The vehicle was intercepted during police checking in the national highway at Adukathbayal in Kasaragod. The spirit was stored in 48 cans that have a storage capacity of 35 litres. Police stated that the culprits confessed that they were smuggling spirit from Mangaluru to Kochi. They were promised money for unloading the cans at a specific spot in Kochi and claimed that they didn’t know for whom they were smuggling. The lorry had chairs on the back while the cans were kept in the front by covering them with red carpet.

The police had been checking the vehicles following a tip received by the Dansaf team led by DySP CK Sunilkumar. Police had information that the gang had smuggled spirit earlier too. Besides the CI, the police team comprised of SI A Ansar, K Narayanan Nair, Jojo, ASI CV Shaju, senior police officer Rajesh Maniyat, civil police officers Satheeshan, Sajesh and Unnikrishnan.

Fine and imprisonment
Meanwhile, in another case of smuggling spirit, the first accused Aravindakshan aka Annu (50) was sentenced to one year imprisonment and a fine of ₹1 lakh by the assistant sessions court judge M C Biju. The incident had taken place on April 30, 2021. Aravindakashan was arrested for smuggling 150 litres spirit and 382.32 litres of alcohol that is allowed to be sold only in Karnataka, in a pickup van. KP Ajay Kumar appeared for the prosecution.