Excise special drive: Nearly 1,400 arrested during Onamin Ker

: Nearly 1,400 people were arrestedin abkari cases in Kerala during the recently concluded Onam season.

The arrests were made as part of the special enforcement drive, "Vishudhi", conducted by the state Excise Department with an aim to check smuggling of illicit liquor and narcotic substances during the festival season.

A total of 868 people were held in connection with the ganja and drug cases during the time, the department said here in a release.

The drive was carried out across the state from August 10 to September 15.

Abkari refers to the manufacture or sale of liquors or drugs.

"As many as 1,687 abkari cases have been registered, under which 1,390 people arrested during the period," the release said.

Besides illegally stocked liquor, several contraband stuff were also seized during the raids, it added.

Interestingly, tipplers in Kerala guzzled liqour worth a record Rs 487 crore sold through state-run outlets during the just concluded week-long 'Onam' festivities.

However, the amount does not take into account the sales figure of the private outlets.

As per the figures of the Kerala State Beverages Corporation, which retails Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL), sale of liquor through its outlets, netted Rs 487 crore from September 3-10, an increase of Rs 30 crore compared to the previous year.