1,782 litres of spirit seized

KOCHI: The Excise Department has seized 54-cans of spirit stored in a lorry parked inside the compound of a petrol bunk in Edappally on Thursday.Excise officials estimate that there was around 1,782 litres of spirit. The spirit was brought from Tamil Nadu.According to Excise Deputy Commissioner P Mohanan, the truck reached the petrol bunk on Wednesday and its driver had told the petrol bunk workers that he would come on Thursday.“We have arrested none so far as the petrol bunk workers don’t know anything about the lorry driver. We are trying to trace the lorry owner and the people behind it. The spirit was seized on the basis of an Excise Intelligence alert.”Excise officials suspect that the spirit was to be transported to other districts.“We don’t think the spirit was meant to be used in any toddy shops or illegal alcohol making units within Ernakulam district. Since the lorry was parked on the highway, it could mean that it was to be taken to some other district.” We are searching the hotels and resting places to trace the driver. We will also verify the registration number of the lorry at the state checkposts to trace its owner,” Mohanan said.