Raids on shops in Hyderabad selling fake liquor brands

Hyderabad: Excise department officials of Hayathnagar and Rachakonda conducted raids on belt shops on Saturday and seized duplicate liquor of various brands worth Rs 1 crore.

The team raided belt shops in Pedda Amberpet, Hayathnagar, Choutuppal and Devalamma Nagaram and seized the contraband.

Based on a tip-off, excise officials checked the barcode of the seized liquor bottles and compared them with regular brands from nearby liquor
shops and found that the belts shops were selling locally manufactured liquor filled in bottles, pasted with stickers and fake barcodes.

Managers of the belt shop were taken into custody and their shops were sealed, Excise department sources disclosed.

During interrogation sellers disclosed the name of an influential liquor dealer of Devalamma Nagaram. Officials have registered a case and are making efforts to nab the dealer who has been supplying duplicate liquor, Excise department sources further disclosed.