Pune : State Excise Dept raids illegal scotch factory in Katraj area

A major raid by the State Excise Department has shown that over Rs 10 lakh worth alcohol bottles, two-wheelers, mobile phones & much more has been recovered from a fake scotch factory that was operating in the Katraj area.

Speaking to Pune Pulse, Yuvraj Shinde, Deputy Superintendent, State Excise Department, Pune, said “The perpetrators used to fill country-made alcohol in old alcohol bottles & sell them to people.”

As per further information shared by Yuvraj Shinde, Based on a tip from Inspector of State Excise, C Division, Pune, Deputy Superintendent Santosh Jagdale, carried out the raid at Katraj Dehu Road Bypass, S.No.3, Ambegaon Budruk, Pune, yesterday. 34 sealed bottles of fake foreign scotch were taken by the enforcement team, along with two two-wheelers, five hundred empty bottles, bunches of bottles, cartons, an induction grill, a heat gun (hair dryer), plastic packing roll, plastic adhesive tape, and a cell phone. The items that were confiscated had an estimated value of Rs 10,39,474.

Maheshbhai Haribhai Koli, a resident of Mangalwar Peth, Pune, has been arrested and is being charged with a crime after being connected to the illegal operation. According to investigations, the phony liquor produced abroad was sold by filling previously used, empty bottles. Two-wheelers were being used in Pune to distribute the illicit alcohol, which was being shipped by parcel to Mumbai and other cities.

Inspector R.P. Shewale, Sub-Inspector N.N. Markad, Sub-Inspector S.S. Lohkare, S.S. Indalkar, and State Excise Department employees Sharad Bhor, Gopal Kanade, and Ujwala Bhabad worked together on the operation.

Shreyas Vange