Pune: In a shocking revelation, an illegal racket of selling counterfeit liquor disguised as branded foreign liquor was uncovered. The perpetrators operated their business in a highly unconventional manner—using luxury cars parked in isolated locations to avoid detection.

Acting on a tip-off, the State Excise Department conducted raids on January 22 and 23, resulting in the seizure of counterfeit liquor and related materials worth ₹19,37,785.

The Modus Operandi

The culprits parked expensive luxury cars in deserted areas where they carried out the illegal activity. Empty bottles of branded foreign liquor were filled with fake liquor and sealed with counterfeit caps to pass them off as genuine products. These bottles were then sold in the market as branded liquor, deceiving unsuspecting customers.

Coordinated Raids Expose the Racket

The State Excise Department's Daund Division team set up traps at Rajegaon and Khadki, successfully busting two such operations. During these raids, three individuals were arrested, and two luxury cars were confiscated. Additionally, the seized items included fake liquor, counterfeit bottle caps, and other materials used in the illegal operation.

Items Seized

• Two luxury cars

• Counterfeit liquor bottles

• Fake caps for sealing the bottles

• Total items worth ₹19,37,785

The operation was spearheaded under the guidance of Pune Division Deputy Commissioner Sagar Dhomkar, Superintendent Charansingh B. Rajput, Deputy Superintendent Uttamrao Shinde, and other senior officers.

The action was executed by a team led by Inspectors Vijay Rokde and Pradeep Jhunjruk, with support from constables Sanket Waje, Shubham Bhoite, Ashok Patil, Pravin Suryavanshi, Saurabh Devkar, and Keshav Wamane. Further investigations are being carried out by Inspectors Vijay Rokde and Pradeep Jhunjruk to uncover more details about the racket.