Excise Deptt. busts premium liquor refilling racket and seizes illicit alcohol in major crackdown: Harpal Cheema

April 22, 2024 10:51 am

Published by: PreetiMahajan

The Fact News Service

Chandigarh, August 31

In a decisive crackdown on the illegal liquor trade, the Punjab Excise Department conducted two major enforcement operations on August 30 in the Ludhiana East Range, leading to the unearthing of a premium liquor refilling racket and the seizure of a substantial consignment of illicit alcohol, including liquor smuggled into the state.

Disclosing the details in an official statement, Punjab Finance, Planning, Excise and Taxation Minister Advocate Harpal Singh Cheema said that the operations were executed swiftly based on specific intelligence inputs and under the direct supervision of Excise and Taxation Commissioner Jitendra Jorwal, along with other senior departmental officers. “Our teams acted with precision to not only seize illegal stock but also to expose a new modus operandi where criminals are endangering public health by refilling premium bottles with low-quality liquor. This is a clear case of fraud and a serious threat to consumer safety, and we will not tolerate it,” he asserted.

In the first raid, enforcement teams, in coordination with local police, dismantled a sophisticated racket operating in Ludhiana. The accused were found refilling high-end imported liquor bottles—brands including Glenlivet, Johnnie Walker Gold Label, and Chivas Regal—with cheaper Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) and Punjab Medium Liquor (PML), with the intent to deceive consumers and evade excise duties. Two individuals, Amit Vij and Pankaj Saini, were apprehended at the scene. The authorities recovered 106 empty bottles, 39 refilled bottles, various bottling accessories, and seized a Swift Dzire vehicle. An FIR has been registered at Police Station Division No. 3, Ludhiana, and investigations are ongoing to trace the full extent of the network.

In a separate operation conducted the same day, Excise officials intercepted Vikramjeet Singh in Village Burma (Samrala), who was found in possession of 60 bottles of illicit liquor labeled “For Sale in Chandigarh only.” The consignment had been illegally smuggled into Punjab, prompting his immediate arrest. A case has been registered at Police Station Samrala under the relevant provisions of the Punjab Excise Act, 1914.

Reaffirming the Excise department’s resolve, Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema emphasized that the Excise Department will continue its rigorous enforcement drives across the state to dismantle illegal supply chains and prevent the circulation of spurious and non-duty-paid alcohol. He highlighted that regular raids, surprise inspections, and coordinated inter-state operations will persist against bootleggers and smugglers. The Finance Minister also urged citizens to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity to the nearest Excise or Police authority, stressing that public cooperation is vital to eliminate the menace of illicit liquor from Punjab.