Illegal liquor unit sealed in Rajpura, ENA seized

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Tribune News Service

Patiala, December 8

Almost six months after an illegal liquor manufacturing unit was unearthed in Ghanaur, excise officials today sealed another such unit in Rajpura, which was being run by the same accused.

The officials said kingpin Dipesh Kumar had been arrested. He was manufacturing Punjab Medium Liquor (PML) from extra neutral alcohol (ENA) using the same modus operandi.

The officials said they located the illicit liquor unit while following a tanker loaded with ENA. On a search, they seized 20,000 litres of ENA and counterfeit stickers and bottles of PML brands sold in Punjab.

A Venu Prasad, Principal Secretary, Excise, said: “We will track the source of raw material and identify all those involved in the racket.”

Dipesh was earlier arrested in June for running an illegal distillery in Ghanaur. A senior police officer said: “Dipesh had gone to Uttar Pradesh to meet professional bootleggers and buy machinery for preparing liquor from ENA.”

Patiala SSP Vikramjeet Duggal said: “The involvement of several persons will come to the fore as raids are still going on.”