Illegal brewing: Why sellers will alert excise department if you buy jaggery in bulk in Kerala

Representational image (Wikimedia Commons)

Stocking up on jaggery, especially during this lockdown in Kerala, could land you in trouble.

The Excise department has asked store owners to keep a tab on people who are purchasing jaggery in large quantities. If the amount of jaggery sought by a customer is deemed to be “unusual” by the shopkeeper, the buyer will have to share his or her personal details, such as name and contact number, so that excise authorities can track them easily.

Wondering why buying jaggery in excess in Kerala could spell trouble for someone? The answer lies in illegal brewing.

According to a report by The Hindu, excise authorities have asked grocery and provision store owners to keep track of people who are buying excess jaggery because it is one of the main ingredients used in illegal brewing. Authorities have anticipated an increase in illegal brewing activities as bars and liquor stores have been shut due to the prolonged coronavirus lockdown.

TA Ashokkumar, Deputy Excise Commissioner, Ernakulam, said: “Our local units are in regular touch with store owners who are best placed to identify such suspicious purchases. Illegal brewing seems to have shifted character from centralised large-scale to more decentralised small-scale units, making detection tougher. The phenomenon seems to be on the rise, and we are planning a special drive to contain it.”

As it has turned out, the Excise Department was not wrong to anticipate a spike in illegal brewing amid the Kerala lockdown. Recently, one youth had visited a grocery store owner near Kakkand to buy five kilos of jaggery. The “unusual” amount had raised the suspicions of the store owner, following which he had asked for the youth’s mobile number. However, the young man did not disclose his identity and left the store.

Moreover, it is not just the excessive amount of jaggery being purchased by certain customers that is unusual; the other items being sourced along with it are also raising suspicion, according to another grocery store owner.

He explained: “For instance, jaggery bought with yeast and bark alone is definitely suspicious. But since everything is bought in normal proportions, we cannot deny them. There is also the possibility that they may be making similar purchases from numerous stores to avoid suspicion.”

Besides, in the recent past, the Excise Department has been seizing jaggery wash used in illegal brewing in smaller amounts, such as 30 to 40 litres; in the past, thousands of litres of jaggery wash would be seized when a racket was busted. This has reaffirmed their conviction that now, people are setting up small-scale decentralised brewing units.

G Suresh Kumar, Assistant Excise Commissioner, Ernakulam, has said that they are keeping a close watch, especially in areas such as Angamaly, Kothamangalam, and Kalady, where illegal brewing is rampant.