Haryana liquor is being smuggled into Lucknow and repackaged in local bottles, raising concerns about counterfeit sales. Over 12,000 bottles have been seized by the excise department during two recent investigations.
The smuggled liquor is sold at lower prices by being transferred into Uttar Pradesh-made bottles. District excise officer Rakesh Kumar Singh explained that the price difference—ranging from ₹200 to ₹1,000—during the festive season has fueled this illegal trade.
During a raid on October 10, authorities found empty bottles with matching QR codes, indicating a plan to swap liquor from Haryana bottles into Lucknow bottles. Singh warned that this could lead to people smuggling in liquor from other states and labeling it with counterfeit QR codes to boost sales illegally, which is against state laws.
The smuggled brands include popular ones like Blenders Pride and McDowell’s. Singh mentioned that regular checks of liquor shops in the capital are being conducted as part of an ongoing effort to combat this issue.
An anonymous excise inspector suggested that the operation might involve internal collaborators, as moving such a large quantity of bottles without help would be challenging.
Officials also found that counterfeit QR codes were being prepared to make illegally sourced whiskey appear legitimate for sale during the festive season. Consumers are advised to carefully check labels and seals before buying liquor to avoid counterfeit products.
In previous raids, the excise team seized around 10,716 bottles of Royal Party brand liquor and uncovered additional hidden bottles and counterfeit labels in a shop in the Bijnor area.
