STF busts fake liquor label printing unit in Hyderabad, two arrested

The Telangana STF busted a fake liquor label racket in Kushaiguda, arresting two associates of a jailed suspect. Officials seized 31,900 fake pouches, 5,000 duplicate excise labels, and printing equipment.

Hyderabad: The Telangana State Task Force (STF) of the Prohibition and Excise Department busted a fake liquor label printing racket operating in Kushaiguda on Tuesday and seized huge quantities of counterfeit material meant for supply in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Karnataka.

Acting on a tip-off, STF raided a printing unit linked to the Huzurnagar spurious liquor case and arrested G Prakash and N Rajesh, who were handed over to the Huzurnagar Prohibition and Excise Station. They are associates of the main suspect – G Naveen Goud, who is already in judicial custody.

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Officials said fake labels of brands were being printed at the unit for the past 18 months and supplied to a network led by one Srinivas, the alleged kingpin of the racket.

Seized material includes a label printing machine, flexo plates of leading liquor brands, 31,900 fake liquor pouches, 5,000 duplicate excise labels and other material.