Fake Liquor Racket Busted In Ahmedabad’s Nikol; Man Arrested, Partner On The Run

The State Monitoring Cell (SMC), with the Nikol Police, has busted an alleged counterfeit liquor racket in Ahmedabad’s Nikol area, arresting one man and launching a search for his alleged accomplice.

The accused, identified as Sunil alias Sonu Rameshbhai Makhija, was allegedly caught with a bottle carrying a fake label of Seagram’s 100 Pipers Deluxe Blended Scotch Whisky near the rear gate of Atal Awas Yojana on August 20.

His alleged associate, Dinesh Jandawala of Kubernagar, was not found during the raid and is currently being searched for.

Cheap Liquor Allegedly Sold As Premium Brands

According to the SMC, officials received information that Makhija and Jandawala were allegedly preparing counterfeit branded liquor by filling cheaper liquor into bottles bearing labels of expensive brands and selling them to customers at inflated prices.

Acting on the information, an SMC team accompanied by Nikol Police personnel reached the rear gate of the housing complex, where Makhija was allegedly found standing near a scooter.

During a search, police allegedly recovered a 750-ml bottle carrying a 100 Pipers label and valued at ₹1,500. Officials reportedly noticed that the label appeared slightly misaligned, raising suspicion about the bottle's authenticity.

Partner Allegedly Procured Empty Bottles And Labels

During questioning, Makhija allegedly told investigators that he and Jandawala were involved in preparing and selling counterfeit liquor for financial gain.

According to the police, Jandawala allegedly procured cheaper liquor, while the duo obtained empty branded bottles, labels and bottle caps through their contacts.

They allegedly used flavours and other substances while preparing the liquor, filled the cheaper liquor into bottles carrying premium-brand labels and resealed them before selling them to customers.

Police suspect the proceeds were shared between the two.

Search At Accomplice’s House

Based on Makhija's alleged disclosure, police took him to Jandawala's residence in Kubernagar. However, the alleged accomplice was not present at the house.

Police subsequently seized four plastic bottles and four tin-like metal containers containing suspicious liquids, besides the suspected counterfeit liquor bottle.

An Aadhaar card and a Vivo mobile phone valued at ₹5,000 were also seized. The listed value of the seized property was around ₹6,500, excluding items for which no monetary value was assigned.

Probe Underway To Trace Supply Network

A case has been registered under provisions of the Gujarat Prohibition Act and relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, concerning the alleged manufacture and sale of adulterated or counterfeit products.

Investigators are now attempting to establish the source of the liquor, empty bottles, labels, bottle caps and other materials allegedly used in the operation.

Police are also searching for Jandawala and examining whether the alleged racket was limited to the Nikol area or involved a wider supply network.