A major smuggling racket involving expensive imported liquor was uncovered near Signature Towers in Gurgaon on Tuesday. Acting on a tip-off, the excise department raided a warehouse and found 3,921 cases and 176 bottles of high-end foreign liquor. Each bottle was priced between ₹1,500 and ₹2 lakh.
The liquor stock was stored in two rooms of a shop at L-2/L-14A, and none of the bottles had the mandatory hologram trace strips, which are required to prove legal import and duty payment.
Deputy Excise and Taxation Commissioner Amit Bhatia said that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been formed to probe the case. The SIT will be led by an ACP-level officer and will include members from both the police and the excise department.
Officials said the liquor was being sold illegally without paying customs or excise duty. The owner of the liquor vend has fled. A popular BYOB outlet called ‘Ebowla’ was linked to the vend.
Nearly 80 varieties of premium spirits were found, including Black & White, Black Label, Absolut Vodka, Double Black, Ballantine’s, Bushmills, VAT 69, Belvedere, The Singleton, Glenmorangie, Chivas, The Yamazaki, Reposado 818, Elite Vodka, and many others.
An inventory of the seized liquor has been prepared. A case has been registered at Sector 40 police station under:
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Section 61 of the Punjab Excise Act (illegal import, transport, possession, or sale of liquor)
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Section 318(4) of the BNS (cheating)
Following the raid, the excise department came under heavy criticism for failing to detect such large-scale illegal activity earlier. In response, the department suspended excise inspector Pawan Sharma, raising concerns about possible negligence or involvement of officials.
Liquor trader Vikram Yadav said this is the first time such a massive quantity of illegal imported liquor has been discovered in the area. He added that the operation caused a huge revenue loss to the government.
Yadav explained the tax difference:
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A box of imported liquor (12 bottles) costs about ₹7,200 before taxes.
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After customs and excise duties, the same box costs ₹12,000 at a legal liquor vend.
This means a difference of ₹5,000 per box. Smugglers used this margin to sell liquor cheaply, attracting big buyers while the state lost tax revenue and genuine traders suffered due to unfair competition.
