KOCHI: With liquor stores closed due to the lockdown in Kerala, attempts have been made to smuggle whiskey bottles from Bengaluru through Speed Post only to be thwarted by the rats in the India Post office in Kochi.
After the rats ate some of the parcel, officials at the India Post discovered the nonsense. The incident was reported on Tuesday when India Post officials alerted the excise department.
Deputy Excise Commissioner TA Ashok Kumar said it was a rare incident and that it was only discovered because a pack of mix (snacks) was also sent in the package along with three bottles of whiskey, which prompted rats to take one To make a hole in it. “This is the first time such an incident has been reported in Kerala when Speed Post is used to smuggle alcohol. Usually parcels are used by courier companies to smuggle narcotics. The Speed Post is not used for this purpose due to the higher risk of being discovered. If the rats hadn’t eaten the envelope, the package would have been delivered undetected. After we found a liquor bottle, the post officials informed us and we confiscated the contraband, “he said.
According to the Excise Officer, the sender of the package has been identified and allowed to act. “We contacted the sender in Bengaluru who accepted the crime. We also identified the recipient who is a native of Kochi. We need to check that the liquor has been sent for consumption for which the recipient’s statement must be recorded. We are taking this precaution as there have been cases where contraband has been sent to purposely trap people in excise duty cases for revenge, “he said.
Ashok Kumar said an Abkari case has been recorded and the arrest of both the sender and the recipient will follow the investigation. “We have a case on record indicting Section 58 of the Abkari Act, which is a non-bail offense. Liquor made in other states is not allowed in Kerala under the Abkari Act, and the case is treated here in accordance with the Brewing and Selling of Arrak. The penalty for the offense is 10 years in prison and a fine of Rs a lakh, “he said.
