SURAT: In a startling revelation, Surat's Katargam police discovered an illicit operation wherein cheap liquor was repackaged in premium brand bottles. The makeshift factory, running inside a flat at Maruti Complex in Magannagar, was raided by authorities who arrested one individual in connection with the scam.
Acting on a tip-off, officers stormed into the residence of 28-year-old Dilip Omprakash Sharma, originally from Ayodhya, at Maruti Complex's Flat No. G-1. The officers uncovered 85 filled bottles of alcohol and a drum brimming with liquor cleverly stashed inside an iron double bed. Further search revealed a stash of 145 empty glass bottles, 224 bottle caps of varying brands, 1,192 brand stickers, and 627 lids all primed for repackaging.
In addition to these, authorities seized an electric glue gun, glue sticks, and specialized equipment designed to remove caps from empty liquor bottles. Personal possessions, including a moped, mobile phone, and cash amounting to Rs 1,800, were also confiscated, taking the total value of the seized items to Rs 2.38 lakh.
Upon interrogation, Sharma revealed his association with Sheth Siraj Memon, a resident of Variawi Bazar, Surat. Memon allegedly supplied Sharma with pouches of cheap foreign liquor, empty premium brand bottles, and counterfeit labels. Sharma's role was to repackage the cheap alcohol as premium brands before handing them over to Memon for distribution.
The Katargam police have since registered a formal case. While Dilip has been arrested, Memon is currently declared as wanted, and further investigations are underway.
