A raid by the Tamil Nadu police on a wine shop in Madukkarai, located on the Tamil Nadu-Pudicherry border, on Saturday drew opposition from the Union Territory police.

The face-off began when Tamil Nadu police, stationed at a checkpoint on the Pennai Bridge, intercepted a man trying to smuggle 10 packets of liquor into the state. The sale of alcohol in packets is banned in Tamil Nadu, prompting the authorities to take immediate action.

A team of 10 officers visited Madukkarai Wine Shop, operated by Raja from Andiyarpalayam under a valid license issued by the Puducherry government. The Tamil Nadu police conducted a lightning search of the premises and seized 40 liters of liquor packets.

However, tensions arose when Madukkarai sub-inspector Veerabathran and his team arrived at the spot and objected to the Tamil Nadu police taking custody of the seized liquor. They argued that the wine shop fell under the jurisdiction of Puducherry, making any seizure by Tamil Nadu authorities “unauthorized”.

In response, Tamil Nadu police said the sale of alcohol packets, banned in its state, warranted a thorough investigation into the source to prevent further violations. The disagreement degenerated into a heated argument in front of the wine merchant.

Later, the Tamil Nadu police handed over the seized liquor packets to the Madukkarai police station. They also warned that strict action would be taken against anyone attempting to smuggle or sell packets of liquor banned in Tamil Nadu.