While TASMAC sales had crossed a record Rs 900 crore on Saturday and Sunday with tipplers collecting and stocking liquor to last the lockdown period, the police have arrested more than 100 persons in Madurai and around 70 people in Trichy for hoarding liquor in large quantities. As per the guidelines of the total lockdown that’s in force from May 10 in Tamil Nadu, TASMAC shops will not function till May 24.

A complete lockdown for 14 days came into force in Tamil Nadu from Monday to stop the spread of Covid-19 in the state. Raids conducted at several places by the police and the Prohibition Enforcement Wing have unearthed liquor bottles stocked for sale during the lockdown at premium rates. The police told IANS said that in the raids conducted on Saturday and Sunday, the force has seized more than 3,000 bottles from various places in Madurai.

Muthumaran, a trader in Madurai, was arrested after around 300 bottles of cheap quality liquor were seized from a shop owned by him. Most of the liquor seized are of cheap quality and those arrested have admitted that they intended to sell them at three to four times the prescribed rates, the police said. In Trichy, the police have seized around 1,800 bottles of liquor, mostly cheap brands, and arrested 70 persons for hoarding the same.

An SHO in Trichy, Nagaraju, told IANS, "We are conducting raids following tip-offs and have arrested around 70 people and seized a good quantity of bottles. We will continue to raid the premises of those who are stocking liquor."

The Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (TASMAC) is a state-owned company, which has a monopoly over wholesale and retail vending of alcoholic beverages in the southern state. During the 14-day lockdown, all the TASMAC shops will be shut.