ORANGEBURG (WACH) -- Deputies in Orangeburg County say they found and destroyed an illegal liquor distilling operation this week.
Officials with the Orangeburg County Sheriff's Department say they were called to the site on Catamount Road in Holly Hill.
When they arrived, investigators found 11 barrels in a field unattended.
Officials say they are still searching for the suspects.
"We have not been able to identify the owner of this still, but we want that individual to know the still is destroyed and your operation is shut down," Sheriff Leroy Ravenell says.
If you have any information that may help deputies, you're urged to call CrimeStoppers at 1-888-CRIME-SC.
This is the second distilling operation bust in Orangeburg County in the past month. At the end of June, deputies discovered another still while searching for a murder suspect in a wooded area near Jaques Lane.
Authorities say that distillery was capable of manufacturing over $10,000 worth of illegal liquor at one time.
Meanwhile, a legal moonshine distillery opened in Greenville this summer. Other legal operations are also open in Charleston County. Those distilleries are legal because they are licensed to produce moonshine and pay taxes on the product.
The new distillery, Dark Corner Distillery, is expected to produce up to 30 gallons a day.
Moonshine is defined as un-aged whiskey.
What do you think about the differences between legal and illegal moonshine? Leave a comment below to join the discussion.
TV Station Profiles & Public Inspection Files forWACH