The Punjab excise department on Wednesday arrested an organized module selling smuggled imported scotches without holograms in the Amritsar district and seized 2,150 cases of illicit liquor. Excise commissioner Rajat Agarwal announced that the excise department has onetime again fastened the noose on persons implicated in smuggling and peddling non-duty paid booze in Punjab. Personal information was obtained that limited persons are implicated in selling smuggled and non-duty paid costly imported brands of scotches and imported beer in Amritsar and bordering regions escaping the Excise duties and Levies, which resulted in a huge loss to the state exchequer. Working on the tip-off, the squad of Special Operation Group of excise department performed a check of the suspected individuals pertained to the trade.
It came to attention that the accused individuals have arranged two illicit godowns in Amritsar where huge amounts of valuable imported liquor brands are illegally stocked and the suspects have a share in the liquor corporation in some groups in Amritsar. A big portion of alcohol was uncovered without holograms. Alcohol smuggled from Chandigarh having holograms of Chandigarh was also discovered from the godowns. Handful cases of alcohol had the holograms of Punjab state stuck over the Chandigarh holograms, which indicates that the accused even smuggled the alcohol from Chandigarh and attempted to paste Punjab holograms over it to attempt to look like genuine duty paid alcohol of Punjab state.
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This alcohol was allegedly being peddled through a system of bootleggers or to marriage palaces and bars thereby affecting damage to the state exchequer. Numerous squads were called in from other areas to take the alcohol of godowns and extensive checking of reclaimed crates was finished by teams. A similar crate of imported booze was discovered. Handful stock in the bars was without holograms and some cases of the smuggled liquor from Chandigarh was also found in a particular bar.
