In a significant operation, the State Excise Department busted a fake scotch factory in Katraj following a tip-off received by Deputy Superintendent Santosh Jagdale.
The raid, led by Inspector of State Excise, C Division, Pune, took place on Friday at Katraj-Dehu Road Bypass, Ambegaon Budruk. The enforcement team confiscated 34 sealed bottles of counterfeit foreign scotch, along with two two-wheelers, 551 empty bottles, cartons, a heat gun, induction, plastic packing roll, plastic adhesive tape, and a mobile phone. The estimated value of the seized items is ₹10.39 lakh, Superintendent Charan Singh Rajput said.
The arrested individual, Maheshbhai Haribhai Koli, a resident of Mangalwar Peth, Pune, has been implicated in the illicit operation. Investigations unveiled that the fake foreign-made liquor was distributed by refilling used empty bottles. The illegal alcohol was transported to Mumbai and other cities through parcels, with sales taking place in Pune via two-wheelers.
The operation was a result of coordinated efforts by Inspector RP Shewale, Sub-Inspector NN Markad, Sub-Inspector SS Lohkare, SS Indalkar, and staff members Sharad Bhor, Gopal Kanade, and Ujwala Bhabad. Inspector Rajaram Prabhu Shewale of the State Excise Department is overseeing the ongoing investigation into the crime.
