VISAKHAPATNAM: In a major crackdown, Prohibition and Excise personnel seized huge quantity of unbranded liquor and non-paid stamp duty of Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) at Anakapalle on Wednesday. According to the officials, there are 150 full bottle cases in the vehicle. The liquor was being smuggled from Umeri Distilleries, Jeypore of Koraput district in Odisha.
On a tip-off, the Excise officials started checking the lorries and found that one vehicle was carrying liquor illegally and seized both the lorry and liquor. As per the first hand information, the Excise officials found that the liquor was being smuggled for adulteration of liquor being sold in the markets. According to the market price, in Odisha one case of liquor costs `750. The wine shop owners can earn huge amounts by mixing the unbranded liquor with the branded one. One Excise inspector said that with the help of the Odisha-based unbranded liquor, the wine shop owners are selling at almost double the price of full bottle of branded liquor by mixing the Odisha liquor.
The officials have started an in depth investigation into the incident and a special team rushed to Jeypore and arrested the general manager of Umeri Distilleries Moses and three others, including lorry driver Sattibabu.
