News Desk: The Maharashtra Excise Department has busted an alleged counterfeit liquor racket operating across Pune and neighbouring Ahilyanagar districts, seizing liquor worth ₹11.55 lakh and arresting three people. The operation was carried out on Friday, just days ahead of the Diwali festival, following a tip-off about the illegal storage and sale of counterfeit foreign liquor.
According to officials, the department received information that fake foreign liquor was being stored at Bangarwadi in Belhe village of Junnar taluka in Pune district. Acting on the information, a team from the State Excise Department's Pune division conducted a raid at the location.
During the operation, officials seized 96 bottles of Royal Stag whisky allegedly carrying counterfeit caps and labels, along with 5,040 bottles of GM Santra country liquor. The seized stock at the premises was valued at approximately ₹4.27 lakh.
Three people were arrested in connection with the case. They were identified as Sachin Ganpat Gadge (40) and Tahir Yusuf Shaikh (43), both residents of Nimgaon Sawa in Junnar taluka, and Sagar Ramdas Borude (27), who belongs to a village in Parner.
During questioning, the accused allegedly provided information about another stockpile of counterfeit liquor at Alkuti village in Parner taluka of neighbouring Ahilyanagar district. Following this lead, the excise team conducted another operation and recovered a substantial quantity of liquor.
The second raid led to the seizure of 1,392 bottles of Royal Stag whisky and 1,728 bottles of Imperial Blue whisky. These bottles also allegedly carried fake caps and labels, raising concerns about the circulation of counterfeit branded liquor in the region. The value of the recovered stock from this location was estimated at around ₹7.28 lakh.
With the two seizures combined, the total value of the confiscated liquor reached ₹11.55 lakh.
A case has been registered against the three arrested individuals under the Maharashtra Prohibition Act, 1949. The authorities have launched a further investigation to identify the source of the counterfeit products and determine how the liquor was being stored and distributed.
Officials are also examining whether the racket involved a wider network of suppliers and distributors operating across multiple locations.
The seizure comes at a time when authorities are increasing vigilance ahead of Diwali, when demand for liquor and other festive goods generally rises. The investigation is expected to establish whether more individuals were involved in the alleged illegal trade.
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