Excise Busts Fake Liquor Racket; 36 Held, 2,232 Litres Of Spirit Seized
Acting on intelligence inputs, the excise teams conducted raids across several districts—including Konaseema, West Godavari, Anakapalli, Bapatla, and Nellore between June 23 and July 22.
VIJAYAWADA: Excise authorities have busted a major spurious liquor racket, arresting 36 persons and seizing 2,232 litres of illegal spirit.
Acting on intelligence inputs, the excise teams conducted raids across several districts—including Konaseema, West Godavari, Anakapalli, Bapatla, and Nellore between June 23 and July 22.
In addition to the illegal spirit, officials seized empty bottles, bottle caps, sealing machines, and counterfeit labels, indicating an inter-state operation wherein spirit was diverted under the guise of industrial use.
Four special teams were formed to investigate the racket, and they uncovered a sophisticated supply chain. The spirit was reportedly sourced under the pretext of industrial application but was diverted for use in manufacturing spurious liquor. Materials such as empty bottles, brand labels, and caps were found to be procured from vendors based in Mumbai, further pointing to the network’s reach beyond Andhra Pradesh.
Officials also identified a Telangana-based firm, M/s Krishna Pharma, as a common source of ethanol supply in recent cases. Two key individuals involved in the racket were identified as Ruttala Srinivas alias Abdul Kalam and Charanjeet Singh Seth.
The Andhra Pradesh excise department is working in close coordination with its counterparts in Telangana and other states to trace the remaining links in the network, cancel misused licences, and prosecute offenders under stringent legal provisions.