New Delhi, Jan 17 (IANS) Delhi Police on Saturday busted an illegal mixing unit of high-end branded liquor and arrested one accused, recovering a huge quantity of illicit liquor along with fake labels and stickers.

According to the West District Police, 14 cartons containing 173 bottles of high-end branded illicit liquor, each with a capacity of 750 ml, were seized. The recovered brands included Gold Label, Glenfiddich, and Glenlivet. In addition, 50 bottle caps, 20 fake labels, and brand stickers of imported liquor were also seized from the spot.

The action was taken as part of a sustained crackdown on bulk suppliers and mixers involved in the manufacture and sale of illicit liquor. The Special Staff of the West District had been specifically tasked with developing Intelligence and taking effective action against such offenders.

On January 15, the police received specific and credible information regarding an illegal mixing unit of high-end branded liquor operating from a residential premises near Bharat Gas Agency in Shivaji Enclave, Rajouri Garden, Delhi. The information was discreetly verified and subsequently shared with the police team.

Based on the input, a police team comprising SI Sanjeet Rana, ASI Kaptan, HC Shamsher, HC Vijay, and HC Devender was constituted. The team was led by Inspector Rajesh Maurya, In-charge of the Special Staff, under the supervision of ACP (Operations) Vijay Singh and the overall supervision of senior officers.

After conducting surveillance and laying a well-planned trap, the team carried out a raid at the premises in Shivaji Enclave, Rajouri Garden, New Delhi. During the search of the rented flat, an illegal liquor mixing and refilling set-up was detected. A large quantity of illicit high-end branded liquor, along with fake labels and brand stickers, was recovered.

A case under Section 33 of the Delhi Excise Act was registered at Police Station Rajouri Garden, and the accused, identified as Ajay, was arrested.

During interrogation, the accused revealed that while working as a bar helper at wedding and banquet halls in and around Wazirpur, he used to collect empty, half-filled, and leftover bottles of expensive imported liquor. He would then refill these bottles with cheaper liquor or diluted contents, affix fake labels and brand stickers procured from Gurugram, and sell them at slightly lower prices than the market rate to cheat customers and earn illegal profits.

The accused has been identified as Ajay, son of Ramdas, aged 24 years, a resident of Wazirpur Industrial Area, Ashok Vihar, Delhi. No previous criminal involvement has been found so far. Further investigation in the case is underway.

–IANS

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