<p>Rodents in a Postal Department of Kochi have "ratted out" a suspected friendly gesture of sending liquor through parcel from Bengaluru to Kerala amid Covid-19 curbs. The "smuggling", said to be exposed by a rat that gnawed the parcel attracted by a packet of mixture (snacks) inside it, is likely to invite up to ten-year imprisonment and a fine of Rs 1 lakh for both.</p>.<p>According to Kerala Excise officials, whether it was a friendly gesture or not, the act of sending liquor bottles is an offence under section 58 of the Abkari Act that warrants up to ten years of imprisonment and a fine of not less than Rs 1 lakh.</p>.<p>It was on Tuesday that the Postal Department officials in Kochi came across the parcel with one portion gnawed by a rat. On checking the parcel, officials found three 375 ml liquor bottles of liquor apart from the mixture packet. They informed the excise officials who registered a case.</p>.<p>The sender was learnt to be a Malayali in Bengaluru and it was suspected that he sent the liquor to one of his friends in Kochi as liquor shops in Kerala remain shut for more than a month owing to Covid-19 lockdown.</p>.<p>Excise Deputy Commissioner Ashok Kumar T A told <em>DH</em> that the sender and the recipient were traced and their addressed were being re-verified. The chances of someone else sending the parcel by using the address of others could not be ruled out as a similar modus operandi was often found in drug smuggling, he said, adding that it was for the first time that liquor smuggling through postal department was spotted in the state.</p>.<p>Sources said that the sender had already told the excise officials that he sent the liquor by parcel without knowing the serious consequences involved.</p>
<p>Rodents in a Postal Department of Kochi have "ratted out" a suspected friendly gesture of sending liquor through parcel from Bengaluru to Kerala amid Covid-19 curbs. The "smuggling", said to be exposed by a rat that gnawed the parcel attracted by a packet of mixture (snacks) inside it, is likely to invite up to ten-year imprisonment and a fine of Rs 1 lakh for both.</p>.<p>According to Kerala Excise officials, whether it was a friendly gesture or not, the act of sending liquor bottles is an offence under section 58 of the Abkari Act that warrants up to ten years of imprisonment and a fine of not less than Rs 1 lakh.</p>.<p>It was on Tuesday that the Postal Department officials in Kochi came across the parcel with one portion gnawed by a rat. On checking the parcel, officials found three 375 ml liquor bottles of liquor apart from the mixture packet. They informed the excise officials who registered a case.</p>.<p>The sender was learnt to be a Malayali in Bengaluru and it was suspected that he sent the liquor to one of his friends in Kochi as liquor shops in Kerala remain shut for more than a month owing to Covid-19 lockdown.</p>.<p>Excise Deputy Commissioner Ashok Kumar T A told <em>DH</em> that the sender and the recipient were traced and their addressed were being re-verified. The chances of someone else sending the parcel by using the address of others could not be ruled out as a similar modus operandi was often found in drug smuggling, he said, adding that it was for the first time that liquor smuggling through postal department was spotted in the state.</p>.<p>Sources said that the sender had already told the excise officials that he sent the liquor by parcel without knowing the serious consequences involved.</p>