Fake Liquor Factory Busted in Kutch; 2 Held

Gandhidham: The Bhuj Cyber Cell has busted a suspected fake foreign liquor manufacturing unit operating from a rented shop in Adipur’s Ward 4/A area and arrested two people in connection with the illegal operation.

The accused have been identified as Hitesh Khima Bamania, originally from Rapar, and Bijendra Lalchand Jat, a native of Mathura. Police seized around 9,000 empty liquor bottles and 600 quarters of counterfeit Royal Challenge liquor during the raid.

Acting on a tip-off, the Bhuj Cyber Cell team raided the rented shop after receiving information that counterfeit liquor was being prepared in 180-ml bottles bearing Royal Challenge stickers and supplied in the market.

During the operation, police also seized chemicals allegedly used to manufacture the fake liquor, bottle-sealing machines and other equipment. The recovery of a large number of empty bottles and manufacturing equipment has led police to suspect that counterfeit foreign liquor was being produced at the premises on a larger scale.

Police are now questioning the two arrested accused to determine how much counterfeit liquor was manufactured, where it was supplied and how many other people were involved in the alleged racket. Investigators are also probing the source of the bottles, brand stickers and chemicals used in the operation.

The raid comes amid increased police vigilance against the illegal liquor trade in Gujarat following the Bhavnagar fire incident, in which 13 people have died and four remain under treatment, according to the information provided.

A similar counterfeit liquor manufacturing unit was busted around two months ago in Satapar village of Anjar taluka by the East Kutch Local Crime Branch. Police had seized filled and empty foreign liquor bottles, caps, electric filling and sealing machines, and liquid chemicals worth a total of ₹8.79 lakh.

In that case, Sunil Shamji Mata and Ramjan Hamirkasam Juneja, both residents of Satapar, were arrested, while Kishore Nagji Vyas of Antarjaal and Rajesh alias Raju Raghu Prajapati of Keshar Nagar, Adipur, were yet to be apprehended. DeshGujarat