Chennai: Duty-free liquor may not mean much to these two men, now that they’re in the slammer. Arrested as part of a liquor smuggling racket by the Airport Police, Madan Singh (37) and Sathik Basha (43) have been persuading regular passengers flying from Colombo to Chennai to carry their stipulated two bottles of liquor purchased at the airport, and hand it over once they cleared customs.
Any international air passenger is allowed to purchase two bottles of liquor sans duty charges and take it to their destination. It is widely believed that customs notified shops have a better quality of liquor and are available at cheaper prices than on retail.
“We received information that this gang had been collecting liqour outside the airport and selling it at an underground operation out of a place in Mannady, so we decided to intercept them,” said Airport Police Inspector Mahimaiveeran.
A team from the airport police waited at the arrival area of the Anna International Terminal as passengers of flight UL 127 cleared customs and began streaming out.
“We picked up two passengers who were doing the ferrying and they led us to the two men who were running the operation,” he added.
30/07/14 Daniel Thimmayya/New Indian Express
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Any international air passenger is allowed to purchase two bottles of liquor sans duty charges and take it to their destination. It is widely believed that customs notified shops have a better quality of liquor and are available at cheaper prices than on retail.
“We received information that this gang had been collecting liqour outside the airport and selling it at an underground operation out of a place in Mannady, so we decided to intercept them,” said Airport Police Inspector Mahimaiveeran.
A team from the airport police waited at the arrival area of the Anna International Terminal as passengers of flight UL 127 cleared customs and began streaming out.
“We picked up two passengers who were doing the ferrying and they led us to the two men who were running the operation,” he added.
30/07/14 Daniel Thimmayya/New Indian Express
