EXCISE BSO CONDUCTS MULTIPLE DETECTIONS ON IL POYA

Excise Department flying squad Bureau of Special Operations (BSO) Colombo carried out a series of detections during Il Poya recovering illegal spirits as well as smuggled cigarettes worth several hundred thousand rupees. Excise Spokesman Deputy Commissioner Kapila Kumarasinghe said the BSO on Tuesday, November 12 raided a restaurant in Ayagama in Ratnapura that was selling liquor disregarding the dry day regulations on Il Poya Day.

The bar was raided on information received from the public and with the instructions of Excise Commissioner General H. G. Sumanasinghe, the premises was sealed off for operations on the following day.the ECG will decide on granting permission to reopen the raided restaurant.

The flying squad on information managed to seize a stock of foreign cigarettes smuggled into the country by a person in Wattala on Wednesday (13).

A brand new car used to transport the stock of Dubai manufactured cigarette brand ‘Top Mountain’ containing 5,000 sticks was taken into custody along with its driver.

Also, 14 various other detections pertaining to illicit spirits and including another batch of 2,400 smuggled cigarettes were carried out by the Colombo Excise BSO during the past three days in countrywide locations.

The detected cases would be produced in the respective courts and the department would impose fines for the offences based on the Technical Crimes Report (TCR).

OIC Colombo Excise BSO Chief Inspector P. N. Hemantha is conducting investigations with Excise Inspectors Ranaweera, Amila, Deeptha, Excise Sergeant Ranajeewa and Excise Guards Jayantha (710), Samaranayake (691), Jayathilake (750), Sisil (820), Chandana (821), Palitha (995), Manjula (837), Sujeewa (795).

Additional Excise Commissioner General Wasantha Dissanayake and Excise Superintendent Channa Weerakkody are directing the inquiries.