AURANGABAD: Indian Excise Department has seized car carrying duplicate foreign liquor worth Rs 1.12 lakh here the other day. Officials said two people have also been arrested for their alleged involvement in manufacturing duplicate foreign liquor.
The accused have been identified as Appasaheb Pimphale, who claims to be a journalist, and Babasaheb Gavhane.
The officials received a tip-off that the duo was driving a car and heading towards the city via Aurangabad-Mumbai highway.
Acting on the information, officials of the state excise department laid a trap and tried to stop the suspects. However, the duo managed to give them a slip. After a brief chase, the duo was nabbed and five boxes of duplicate foreign liquor and 20 liquor bottles worth Rs 1.12 lakhs were seized from them.
Officials said during the course of investigation, it has also come to the fore that the accused, who claims to be a journalist, had allegedly stolen the car from Gujarat and had been using it by putting up a false registration number plate.
Sources said the accused are in the business of manufacturing duplicate liquor of various brands and smuggle them through a secured channel developed over a period of time. The duplicate liquor is being sold at comparatively less price to hotels, dhabas and restaurants situated in remote places.
