Illicit rum unit busted at Sulur

COIMBATORE: The district Police busted a ‘highly mechanised’ illicit rum manufacturing unit at Sulur here on Tuesday night, and seized about 7,000 litres of rectified spirit and 840 bottles of illicit rum, worth Rs 25 lakh.Four persons, including a former civil employee at Sulur airforce station, were arrested in this connection and the police are on the lookout for three others.The manufacturing unit was set up at a 25 cent area at Kadampadi at Sulur, by Anil (30), a former employee at the air force station.The police said he is the mastermind behind the operation and had purchased the land from one Ravi. According to Superintendent of Police N Kannan, Anil bought the rectified spirit from Bangalore and used it to produce illicit rum here.The spirit was purchased on the pretext of “industry purpose” in bulk. What they produced was labelled as ‘Contessa XXX Rum’ and they were to be moved to Kerala in cars.The crime came to light, when a team of sub-inspectors were checking vehicles at Kalangal road junction on July 21. They intercepted a Maruthi 800 car and questioned Anil, who was with Senthilkumar (24).The police seized 250 bottles of rum and further interrogation led to the busting of the unit.