In a significant crackdown, the Rewari police exposed a major liquor scam by seizing over 300 cartons of spurious Indian-made foreign liquor (IMFL) from two licensed liquor shops in Gurugram and one in Manesar. The illicit operations involved packaging and selling IMFL in bottles bearing the labels of premium liquor brands, and these were being transported to various states across the country.
The police’s attention was drawn to these three establishments following the arrest of a truck driver earlier in the week. The driver was caught transporting IMFL along with empty bottles and caps of Old Monk rum, liquor refilling machinery, packing material, and holograms. The seized items provided crucial leads, leading the police to the three involved shops.
It’s worth noting that this action is distinct from the counterfeiting operation reported by HT in October, which exposed the rebottling and sale of premium liquor bottles in Gurugram and Faridabad.
The recent developments unfolded after the Rewari Police’s crime branch received a tip about a truck transporting spurious liquor. A trap was laid, resulting in the seizure of the truck en route from Manesar to Rajasthan. The vehicle, carrying 100 cartons of liquor, machinery for filling liquor, stickers, bottles, and caps of Old Monk rum, led to the subsequent discovery of 306 boxes of fake liquor in the name of “Mota Orange-Desi” and “Old Monk rum.”
Three arrests were made on the scene, including Pawan Ram from Kasola in Rewari, and Ajay Singh and Arjun Kumar from Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh. The investigation further revealed that the fake liquor was being supplied in Gurugram, Manesar, and Sohna.
In a parallel development, the Rewari police seized another truck carrying over 800 cartons (9,708 bottles) of IMFL in Nuh on Thursday night. Unfortunately, the truck driver managed to escape the scene.
The excise department, acting on information from the Rewari police, conducted raids on one liquor shop in IMT Manesar and two shops in Gurugram. These establishments, located on Jail Road and near the Sohna bus stand, were sealed pending further action. Samples of the seized fake liquor were collected and sent to the lab for analysis.
A case was registered under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Punjab Excise Act 1914. The arrested suspects provided leads that led to the discovery of an illegal liquor manufacturing unit in a farmhouse near Manesar. Three more suspects, including two liquor contractors, were arrested.
The investigation is ongoing, with efforts to apprehend others involved in the manufacturing and supply of spurious liquor. The six arrested suspects are currently on five days’ police remand.
