In a joint operation by officers of the Elpitiya Excise station and Southern Province Excise Commissioners office last week, an illicit distillery in the Galambagala Division in Beraliyamulla in Elpitiya was raided and five suspects were arrested. 165 litres of spirits, 5100 litres fermenting base (goda), 42 barrels, five copper wires and a stock of amonia were seized.

The suspects were produced before Elpitiya Magistrate Prabath Ranasinghe and fined Rs 87,000.

According to a spokesman for the Excise Department, the moonshine distillery has been in operation for some time and the raid was conducted on public complaints received by the Commissioner General of Excise Wasantha Hapuarachchi.

"The officers had to trek a distance of over five kilometers around 2.00 a.m. in to a jungle area to reach the spot", he said.

The raid was conducted on the instructions of Southern Province Asst. Excise Commissioner B. A. Dayaratne supervised by Galle District Excise Superintendent H. W. D. Kulatunge.

The raiding party comprised of OIC Elpitiya, Upali Jayasinghe, OIC Matara Dheera Gunasekera, OIC Southern Province Excise Special Operation Bureau M. Jayantha de Silva and a team of inspectors and guards.