Illegal liquor unit busted in Chatra forest, 3 held

Vishvendu Jaipuriar| TNNChatra: A joint team of the excise department and Pratappur police busted an illegal mini liquor manufacturing unit operating in a forest near Gara village in Chatra district on Thursday and arrested three persons besides seizing a large quantity of spurious Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL), it said on Friday.The raid was carried out as part of a special drive on the directions of DC Ravi Anand.During the operation, officials recovered 526 bottles (259.5 litres) of counterfeit IMFL along with 40 litres of spirit. Equipment used for packaging, including a punching machine, a motorcycle and a large cache of empty bottles, was also seized from the spot.The team further recovered fake caps, wrappers and holograms bearing names of popular liquor brands.Preliminary probe revealed that the accused were allegedly manufacturing fake foreign liquor by mixing spirit with colouring and flavouring agents before bottling and branding it as reputed labels. The liquor was reportedly meant for supply to neighbouring Bihar, which enforces prohibition.Excise superintendent Prem Prakash Oraon said cases have been registered against the accused under relevant provisions of the Jharkhand Excise Act. “Further investigation is underway to identify others involved in this illegal trade,” he said.