PCB Busts Counterfeit Liquor Bottling Unit In Ahmedabad's Shahpur, 4 Arrested
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Summarized by AI; it may make mistakes. Check important info
The Ahmedabad Police's Prevention of Crime Branch (PCB) has busted an alleged counterfeit liquor bottling unit operating from a residential house in Shahpur, where cheaper Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) was allegedly being repackaged and sold as premium brands. Four people were arrested during the raid, while the alleged kingpin remains absconding.
The raid was conducted on Saturday at a house in Madhwala ni Pol near Halim ni Khadki under Shahpur police station limits following specific information received by the PCB.
Fake Labels, Caps Used To Pass Off Cheap Liquor
According to police, the accused allegedly transferred liquor from low-cost IMFL bottles into bottles bearing premium brand labels. Counterfeit labels and bottle caps, along with flavouring agents, were allegedly used to make the liquor appear to be high-end brands for sale in the illegal market.
The arrested accused have been identified as Mandip Kanubhai Bhavsar, 40, Kailash Jayantibhai Bodana, 36, Dev Pratik Kumar Patel, 22, and Devang Amitbhai Jani, 28. All four are residents of Ahmedabad.
Liquor Bottles, Labels And Equipment Seized
During the search, police seized 227 sealed IMFL bottles valued at around ₹1.14 lakh, along with 127 empty branded liquor bottles, 100 branded bottle caps and 118 branded labels.
Investigators also recovered five flavouring agents, a hair dryer allegedly used for sealing bottles, two containers containing 22 litres of liquor, five mobile phones worth ₹26,000 and ₹11,160 in cash.
The total value of the seized property has been estimated at ₹1.56 lakh.
Alleged Kingpin Declared Wanted
Police have named Vicky alias Mango alias Balelo Kanubhai Chauhan, a Shahpur resident, as the alleged kingpin and declared him a wanted accused. Efforts are underway to trace and arrest him.
A prohibition offence has been registered in connection with the case.
The PCB is investigating the source of the liquor, the scale of the alleged counterfeit bottling operation and whether the network supplied fake premium liquor to other parts of Ahmedabad.
