India
Maharashtra Excise Seizes ₹11.55 Lakh of Counterfeit Liquor Ahead of Diwali
The Maharashtra Excise Department raided a counterfeit liquor racket in Pune and neighbouring Ahilyanagar districts after a tip that fake foreign liquor was being stored at Bangarwadi in Belhe village of Junnar taluka for illegal sale. The raid recovered 96 bottles of Royal Stag whisky with alleged fake caps and labels and 5,040 bottles of GM Santra country liquor, valued at ₹4.27 lakh. Three suspects were arrested: Sachin Ganpat Gadge (40) and Tahir Yusuf Shaikh (43) from Nimgaon Sawa in Junnar taluka, and Sagar Ramdas Borude (27) from a village in Parner. During the investigation the accused reportedly revealed another stockpile at Alkuti village in Parner taluka of Ahilyanagar district. The excise team seized an additional 1,392 bottles of Royal Stag whisky and 1,728 bottles of Imperial Blue whisky, both allegedly carrying counterfeit caps and labels, valued at about ₹7.28 lakh. The total value of the seized liquor from both locations is ₹11.55 lakh. A case has been registered against the three under the Maharashtra Prohibition Act, 1949, and further investigation is underway to determine the source of the counterfeit liquor, its distribution network and whether more people were involved.