Fake Liquor Factory Busted in Krishnanagar: Bootleggers Refilled Cheap Alcohol into Premium Foreign Bottles Inside Temple Store Room

In a joint operation, the Zone-5 Local Crime Branch (LCB) and Krishnanagar police dismantled an illegal counterfeit liquor manufacturing unit operating out of a residential building in Thakkarbapanagar on Sunday evening. Bootleggers were refilling cheap alcohol into empty bottles of expensive foreign brands, affixing fake labels, and selling them at premium prices. Police arrested one suspect at the scene and seized illicit liquor, packaging material, and duplicate branding worth over ₹1.32 lakh.

Acting on a specific tip-off received while patrolling near Thakkarbapanagar, police teams raided the second floor of House No. 141 in a lane opposite Hariom Cycle. Officers caught 23-year-old Hemal alias Hemu Maheshbhai Vaghela red-handed. Interrogation revealed that the property belongs to Sunil Ganeshbhai Solanki, who had been running the illegal racket for the past month alongside his partners, Bharat alias Bharto Kishanbhai Solanki and Vijay Hirabhai Solanki. Search operations are currently underway to trace the three absconding accomplices.

Temple Store Room Used as Hidden Stock Warehouse

The police operation uncovered a crucial concealment tactic following Hemal’s interrogation. To evade detection during routine checks, the syndicate used a store room located inside a nearby temple in the same lane as a secret warehouse for finished products. Police raided the temple store room and recovered a significant cache of filled liquor bottles and beer cans hidden among the premises.

Seized items from the raid include:

• Filled Alcohol Counterfeits: 27 filled bottles of various brands, 69 quarters, and 15 beer cans (valued at ₹1.32 lakh).
• Empty Containers: 322 glass bottles with brand stickers, 118 plastic quarter bottles, and 293 bottle caps.
• Counterfeit Labels (211 Total): 90 Teacher's, 35 Antiquity Blue, 31 Black & White, 20 Black Dog, 20 Blender's Pride, and 15 Signature stickers.
• Premium Branding Targets: Labels for luxury labels including Blue Label, Jameson, Vat 69, and The Glenlivet.

Police Probe Printing Press and Scrap Supplier Connections

Investigators are probing the broader supply chain behind the illicit network. Key angles under investigation include identifying the local printing press responsible for producing high-quality duplicate brand stickers and specialized caps, as well as tracking the scrap dealers, hotels, or clubs that supplied over 300 empty glass bottles.

Police are also mapping the distribution network to identify the local bootleggers and direct consumers across Ahmedabad who received home deliveries of the fake liquor over the past month.

Earlier this month, Ahmedabad police arrested a 27-year-old for repackaging cheap liquor in premium brand bottles, selling them at inflated prices. The operation, ongoing for four months, involved refilling discarded bottles and resealing them with fake labels and caps. Police seized 174 sealed bottles, 96 beer cans, and other materials worth ₹2.53 lakh. An investigation is underway to trace suppliers and other involved individuals.