Haryana liquor in U.P. bottle?
Beware, Haryana-made liquor is on sale in Lucknow. This liquor is being packed in UP-manufactured liquor bottles after being smuggled from other states for a cheaper price. This fact surfaced during two consecutive investigations within 48 hours by the excise department, which led to the seizure of over 12,000 liquor bottles coming from Haryana, to be refilled into UP-manufactured liquor bottles.
District excise officer Rakesh Kumar Singh said that a major price difference in other states, as compared to U.P, is the reason for these bottles to be smuggled into the state during the festive period. He said that the cost variation ranged from ₹200 to ₹1,000.
Singh said, during the raid conducted on October 10, authorities discovered empty bottles with the QR code with the same numbers. According to the accused, the plan was to transfer the liquor from Haryana bottles to empty bottles of Lucknow and placing the QR code on the cap.
Singh warned of the possibility that individuals might be illegally smuggling liquor from other states and swapping it with empty bottles of genuine premium brands to inflate sales and increase profits. The sale of liquor from other states is strictly prohibited in U.P. under state laws, Singh added.
Most of the premium liquor is brought from Haryana, Punjab, and Chandigarh. Some of the brands being smuggled are Blenders Pride, Imperial Blue, McDowell’s, Royal Stag, among others, Singh said. He stated, “We are now conducting regular checks of all liquor shops in the state capital as part of the ongoing drive.”
An excise inspector, not wishing to be quoted, suggested that the operation was likely aided by internal collaborators, as it would be nearly impossible to transport such a large number of liquor bottles undetected without assistance from within.
In a related incident, officials discovered that QR codes had been prepared to label premium whiskey bottles illegally brought from other states to place on the empty bottles of the state capital. These counterfeit labels were intended to make the illicit liquor appear legitimate for sale during the festive period.
Authorities are advising all consumers to carefully check the labelling and seals of liquor bottles before purchasing them and to avoid any counterfeit products.
Previous raids
According to the excise team of Lucknow, around 893 boxes containing 10,716 bottles of Royal Party brand foreign liquor were seized on Thursday. The significant bust occurred near the Itaunja Toll Plaza on Sitapur Road, where the team intercepted a truck, an excise release dated October 10, read.
Additionally, the excise department raided a Natkur Foreign Liquor Shop in the Bijnor area of the state capital. The raid uncovered 1,440 bottles of Rajdhani brand liquor from Chandigarh, hidden in 120 boxes behind the shop premises. Excise officers also seized 1,005 fake QR codes, 6,141 counterfeit caps of popular liquor brands such as Blender Black, Royal Stag, Imperial Blue, and McDowell’s, and two sacks filled with empty liquor bottles. A departmental app scan revealed that some of the half and quarter bottles displayed in the shop contained fake QR codes and caps, an excise release read.
