Kerala Police arrested two persons from Alappuzha district’s Edathua area on Sunday in connection with the seizure of 120 litres of wash.

Kerala Police on Friday busted an illicit liquor unit in Alappuzha district’s Edathua area and seized 120 litres of wash. Local police raided the brewing unit on June 11 after receiving specific information.

During the raid, 120 litres of wash, three gas cylinders, and other brewing equipment were seized. Two persons — Wilso (48) and Shyju Mon (42) — were arrested from the unit while one person fled.

The accused were allegedly selling arracks for exorbitant prices. As the liquor shops were closed in view of the Covid restrictions, a litre of local arrack was being sold for Rs 2500 to Rs 3000.

According to Edathua Police, brewing of illicit liquor or arrack (country-made liquor) has increased since the state’s liquor shops and bars were closed by the end of April. These units are usually placed far away from residential areas in order to avoid the attention of the general public or law enforcement agencies.

In similar operations over the last week, the Edathua Police has arrested eight people from nearby regions.

In a separate incident, the railway police arrested two women for allegedly smuggling liquor. The accused, identified as Deepi (33) and Shija (23), were apprehended with 62 bottles of liquor at the Kottayam railway station.

The railway police claim that a four-person team, including the two apprehended women, was smuggling liquor from Karnataka on the Bengaluru-Kanyakumari express. The other two members of the smuggling team are on the run.