A constable and two others were arrested for running a duplicate liquor factory at Hanuman Nagar under Digapahandi police limits in Ganjam district, police said on Saturday.
The arrested persons have been identified as Chinimini Barik, a constable attached to bomb disposal squad, Ranoj Das, an auto driver and Babu Sahu. As per reports, Barik was running the factory.
The Bada Bazaar police busted the liquor unit while acting on a tip off on smuggling of spurious liquor bottles in an auto rickshaw on Friday night.
According to sources, the cops immediately swung into action and intercepted the vehicle on Aska road.
“Upon a thorough search, eight cartoons each containing 48 bottles of liquor with label of a noted brand were found concealed in the auto rickshaw. In the look, the bottles were the same as the original ones,” said Berhampur town SDPO Bishnu Prasad Pati.
During interrogation, Sahu spilled the bean and informed the police that Barik was infact the owner of the illegal liquor factory. Later, Sahu led the cops to the liquor processing unit which was run in the guise of a poultry farm. Police seized a huge amount of packaging and other raw materials from the spot.
A huge cache of caps, empty bottles, 404 duplicate packed liquor bottles, labels, one litre spirit and one litre pocha (fermented mahua flower) were seized from the spot.
During the raid at the factory, Barik who had been away on office duty was nabbed by police from Bhubaneswar and brought to Bada Bazaar police station.
SDPO Pati further said that Barik had employed Sahu in the illegal syndicate. "While the former was looking after the marketing part, Sahu’s job was to supply the products at destinations. Barik told us that he had been in the business for just 15 days. We are verifying it,” informed Pati.
The police have produced the trio in the court. A detailed investigation is underway to find out other persons involved in the clandestine business and the supply locations.