Duplicate IMFL Worth ₹4 Lakh Seized in Odisha’s Sundargarh, Kingpin Arrested

Rourkela: In a major crackdown on the sale of illicit liquor, the Excise department in Sundargarh district seized duplicate India-made Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) worth over Rs 4 lakh and arrested one person, allegedly the kingpin of the racket.

Acting on reliable tip-offs, a special team led by Deputy Superintendent of Excise (DSE) Archana Barik raided Bhangadihi village under Bonaigarh police station on Tuesday. The team nabbed Balabhadra Patra while he was transferring duplicate liquor bottles from a car to a scooter in an open field.

Investigations revealed that Patra procured the spurious liquor from Jharkhand and then repackaged it for sale. He would mix chemicals and synthetic colours with the liquor before bottling it. The bottles were then capped with duplicate caps resembling those of popular IMFL brands and labelled accordingly.

Excise officials suspect that Patra supplied this duplicate liquor to dhabas and hotels in Sundargarh and Deogarh districts. The raid also yielded a seizure of empty bottles, labels of popular liquor brands, and stickers used in the packaging process.

According to DSE Barik, Patra is a repeat offender who has been arrested for dealing in duplicate liquor multiple times in the past. He would return to the illegal trade after each release on bail.