Booze seized from jungle bordering Karnataka

CANACONA: On the eve of the Karnataka polls, Canacona excise officials seized 48 bottles of whisky and 24 tins of beer from a jungle area of Loliem-Polem, bordering Karwar. It appears that the cache, worth Rs 23,280, was being smuggled into Karnataka.
According to the excise department sources, a Canacona flying squad headed by Chandranath Desai, the superintendent of excise, raided the area after specific information was received about some elements trying to smuggle a liquor consignment through the forest.
When the team reached the spot and searched the area, the liquor cache was found abandoned. It is learnt that those who were carrying the liquor fled into the jungle.
The raid was supported by excise officials Videsh Dhuri, Santosh Gaonkar, Datta Gaonkar, Anandu Velip, Anay Velip, and Vinod Naik.
In all, 56 liquor outlets in Canacona taluka, especially at Loliem-Polem village, have been kept closed from May 8 evening till 8pm on Wednesday. They will also be closed on the counting day, May 13.