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Smuggled high-spirit, high-lifers’ drink in the market
View(s):An upmarket imported alcoholic beverage of 68% strength and green in colour, has found its way into the local market, a recent raid by the Excise Department revealed this week. As of now, the Excise Dept has recovered some 300 such bottles, mainly from supermarkets and nightclubs, Excise Commissioner General D.G.M.V. Hapuaarachchi told the Sunday Times.
The bottle of alcohol in question
“The product, illegally imported from a port in France, had been in ‘circulation’ over a considerable period of time,” he said. According to initial investigations, the product had been smuggled into the country by a leading privately owned distillery.
The maximum alcohol content of an imported product is 48%, but in this case the company was even able to get it passed undetected through the Customs checking point, Mr Hapuaarachchi added.This particular alcoholic beverage should be consumed with a sugar cube, with instructions for its use depicted on the label.
The importer, for its part has pleaded ignorance on the high volume of alcohol in the product, but the Excise Chief said the company has come under a thorough investigation. It was also found that each bottle of this product was sold at between Rs 7,000 and Rs 10,000.
According to Mr Hapuaarachchi, there is also information that certain other individuals were also involved in a similar trade with the connivance of errant officials. “This high volume alcoholic beverage is harmful to one’s health and therefore, it is important that this is stopped at the earliest,” he said.
He also called on the general public to notify the authorities of any known places or persons trading in this alcoholic beverage.
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