Illegal liquor unit under guise of bottled water plant, busted in Bhubaneswar; 4 arrested

In a major crackdown, police bust an illegal liquor manufacturing unit in Daruthenga forest of Bhubaneswar, seizing liquor valued at approximately Rs 19 lakh, on Friday. Four suspects have been arrested in connection with the racket, official sources said.

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The illegal operation was discovered to be housed within a factory initially intended for packaging bottled water. This factory had been repurposed to facilitate the production of country-made liquor, drawing attention to the increasing trend of using legitimate business fronts for unlawful activities in the Capital City.

Local authorities emphasised the need for rigorous action against such operations, citing concerns over public health and safety. This incident highlights the ongoing struggle against unregulated liquor production in Odisha, which has posed significant challenges to law enforcement in the State.

Probes are currently underway to uncover a broader network involved in this operation, if any, as the authorities seek to dismantle the unit facilitating this illegal trade.

A bottle containing 100 ML of the illegal liquor is sold at Rs 40 in the market.

Country-made liquor packaged in 100 ML water bottles

“Bottled liquor is being sold in slums in Bhubaneswar, and we had previously busted these several times following raids on different locations. However, we were tipped off yesterday that country-made liquor kept in barrels was transported from Athagarh of Cuttack. Those in turn were being packaged in small bottles at the Daruthenga unit,” Bhubaneswar Excise DSP (Deputy Superintendent of Police-Excise), Raj Sekhar Swain said to OTV.

“We seized over 9,000 litres of the illegally brewed liquor. Valuation of the contraband item would be around Rs 19 lakh in the open market,” the Excise DSP expressed.

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“Two of the arrested persons are from the Tigiria locality of Athagarh,” DSP Swain added.