The Kalutara North Police announced today that a former candidate of the Kalutara Pradeshiya Sabha has been arrested for operating an illegal Kasippu (illicit liquor) distillery within the premises of a major political party's office in Kalutara. The 42-year-old suspect was apprehended as part of an ongoing operation targeting illicit alcohol production.

Authorities revealed that the illegal distillery was concealed within the premises of the Kalutara party office of a prominent political party. To avoid suspicion, the suspect purportedly offered services such as repairing and painting three-wheeled motorcycles for a monthly fee of 30,000 rupees, effectively using the cover of a legitimate business to operate the illicit operation.

The investigation was set into motion when local law enforcement received a tip about the suspicious activities taking place at the political party's office. Upon arriving at the scene, police officials discovered that the locked doors were forcibly broken, allowing access to the concealed underground distillery.

During their inspection of the premises, police officers unearthed an underground bunker within a room that contained a significant cache of illicit liquor production equipment. Among the seized items were ten barrels filled with nearly 20 lakh milliliters of Goda (a locally brewed alcoholic beverage), five plastic containers, gas tanks, and various filtering equipment used in the distillation process. The underground operation was reportedly well-equipped and capable of producing substantial quantities of illicit alcohol.

The suspect, a former Kalutara Pradeshiya Sabha candidate, was promptly taken into custody.