A group of officers from the Western Province North Crime Division arrested six suspects during a raid on a large-scale illegal brewery operated under the guise of a drinking water business, according to the Police Headquarters.

The raid took place yesterday (28) in the Sudarshana Road area within the Dompe, Kaduwela police division.

The police team acted on a secret tip-off to conduct the raid, arresting the six suspects alongside a stock of illicit liquor and a large quantity of manufacturing equipment.

The items seized by the police included 18,575 bottles of 180ml (3,345.5 litres of liquor) labelled as local liquor, four 1000ml bottles labelled as foreign liquor, one 750ml bottle of illicit liquor, one 750ml bottle of ethanol used for manufacturing liquor, 50 grams and 200 milligrams of Kerala cannabis, and a stock of equipment used for the illegal manufacturing of liquor.

The individuals operating the racket are aged 30, 43, 58, 59, and 62, the police stated.

They are residents of Mihintale, Maradana, Wattala, Waebada South, Kaduwela, and Sippikulama, according to the police.

Preliminary investigations revealed that this large-scale illegal liquor network operated by misleading the public into believing it was a drinking water business.

The Western Province North Crime Division is conducting further investigations into the incident.