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Police crack down on Market Street shops flouting alcohol ban, cart away illegal goods |20 July 2021

Following tip-offs from members of the public that some merchants in Market Street were flouting a ban in force stopping them from selling and storing alcohol, the police and other law enforcement agencies have cracked down on three selling points and carted away dozens of cartons of liquor, wine and spirits.

This was during a coordinated raid yesterday.

The crackdown involved officers from the regular police, the criminal investigation division (CID) and the rapid response unit. It came around two years after a regulation came into force preventing the sale of alcohol in Market Street with the aim of bringing more order and do away with anti-social behaviour and disorderly conduct among drunkards in this part of Victoria.

It was some four months ago that the concerned law enforcement agencies stepped up their efforts to reinforce the regulation.

Police superintendent Ned Wirtz said in March the police together with the Seychelles Licensing Authority (SLA) went around Market Street advising merchants to stop selling alcohol and to remove it from their shelves as their licence had not been renewed and they were no longer allowed to sell the commodity.

“After receiving complaints from the public that merchants were flouting the ban, we came back to them with these reports but they denied. So as we are still receiving complaints we have decided to take action and more alcohol than we expected was found,” superintendent Wirtz remarked, noting that no arrest has been made but the case is being investigated by the CID while the SLA has also been notified.

He said the seized alcohol will be stored at the police headquarters until a decision is taken on what will be done with it.

“The message being sent across is that the law should be abided to and if you have a licence to sell alcohol you can do it, but if your licence has not been renewed you do not sell. The police are also monitoring the situation as there are reports that there are also merchants who are not respecting the hours for alcohol sale. We will soon act on this as well,” superintendent Wirtz affirmed.

He said yesterday’s crackdown should serve as a deterrent for other merchants who are flouting the regulations.

 

Marie-Anne Lepathy

 

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