Fake premium liquor racket busted in Vemulawada; two held

Two men from Telangana’s Rajanna-Sircilla district were arrested for selling low-quality liquor in branded bottles, duping customers by offering fake premium alcohol at discounted prices through WhatsApp groups.

Rajanna-Sircilla: Liquor lovers, known to travel long distances for their favourite brand at a lower price, were duped by a youth who sold cheap liquor under the guise of branded alcohol.

Exploiting this demand, Thuniki Karthi from Rudravaram launched the illicit trade six months ago, and was later joined by Damarapalli Santhosh from Vemulawada. Both were arrested by Vemulawada Prohibition and Excise police on Wednesday.

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According to officials, the duo collected empty branded liquor bottles from bar shops and other outlets, refilled them with low-quality liquor, and sold the product as premium brands. They used bottles of well-known labels like Black & White, Williams, Black Dog, Signature and Royal Challenge among others.

To attract customers, they posted messages in local WhatsApp groups offering premium liquor at discounted rates. The strategy gained traction and helped them expand their illegal trade.

In a bizarre twist, Karthi had even planned to serve the same adulterated liquor at his own wedding, scheduled for August 13.

Presenting the accused before the media in Vemulawada on Wednesday, Excise SIs Ravi and Shailaja said they conducted a raid on Karthi’s residence based on a tip-off and seized liquor bottles worth Rs. 50,000 of various ‘branded’ labels.