Nine involved in hooch sales arrested in Tamil Nadu

SALEM: Nine people involved in the illegal sale of arrack were arrested on Thursday by the Thalaivasal police in Salem district. The action was taken in the wake of the hooch tragedy in Kallakurichi earlier this week.
Salem district collector urged the public to report such activities on the numbers 0427-2452202, 0427-1077 and toll-free number 10581 available 24/7.

The arrested persons are C Allimuthu, 65, from Unathur; R Arulmani, 29, from North Kattu Kottai; P Ramar, 55, from Varakoor; K Periyasamy, 33, from Navakurichi; A Kaliyamoorthy, 50, from Govindapuram; V Ramasamy, 58, from Siruvachur; C Balraj, 25, from Kerankadu; R Sivachandran, 36, from Manivilunthan Colony; and P Sekar, 40, from Rameshapuram.
Since January 2024, the Salem district police have arrested 168 people under the Tamil Nadu Prohibition Act of 1937 for their involvement in the illicit liquor trade. Authorities have seized a total of 13,256 litres of illegal liquor, including both illicitly distilled (ID) arrack and fermented wash.

Salem district Superintendent of Police A K Arun Kabilan told TNIE, “The checking at the borders of Kalvarayan Hills has been intensified after the Kallakurichi incident. The crime is mostly committed by repeat offenders, so the district police are keenly monitoring their activities.”

Regarding a viral video showing individuals delivering illicit liquor on a bike in Attur, Attur Deputy Superintendent of Police KC Sathish told TNIE, “The video is from April, and we have already remanded the accused shown in it. The accused is Sivachandran, who is among the nine arrested.”