Solan, May 5: In a major crackdown on illicit liquor operations, the State Taxes and Excise Department (STED) seized a massive quantity of illegally manufactured liquor, extra neutral alcohol (ENA), and branded labels during a raid at a bottling plant in Kala Amb late Saturday night.
The operation exposed what officials described as a “blatant misuse of manufacturing licence” at the Tilok Sons Brewery and Distillery.
Acting on a tip-off, a seven-member enforcement team led by Additional Commissioner Ujjal Singh Rana conducted the raid around 2 a.m. Shockingly, liquor production was found underway by 20 unauthorized workers despite the facility being officially closed since the previous evening.
“The scale of the illegal activity was staggering,” Rana said. “We found liquor and ENA far exceeding the licensed limits, along with hundreds of thousands of labels intended for bottles marked for sale in Uttarakhand.”
Among the seized items were 230 cases of Royal Blue whiskey specifically labeled for Uttarakhand markets, 2,100 excess cases of country liquor, 1,100 cases of Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL), and 4,500 bulk litres of extra neutral alcohol — enough to manufacture a substantial volume of unlicensed liquor.
Officials also discovered 3.95 lakh labels of various popular liquor brands, including Dry Gin and Santara, stacked within the premises, along with 41,000 PET bottles stored in a truck parked inside the compound.
The accumulation of excess ENA and the unauthorized continuation of production point to a large-scale illegal operation and indicate a significant revenue loss to the state.
“This is not just a violation of licensing terms, it’s an organised attempt to defraud the state exchequer,” an official noted.
The factory has since been sealed, and a formal complaint has been submitted to local police, seeking the registration of an FIR.
A detailed report has also been sent to the Collector, STED, for further action.
An Excise Inspector assigned to lock the factory each evening has come under scrutiny. He stated that the plant was closed at 5:30 p.m. in his presence and claimed to have secured the revenue lock.
However, he reported finding his room unlocked upon returning home, suggesting a possible theft or breach.
The investigation is ongoing, with more officials expected to be questioned in connection with the breach of protocol and apparent collusion in the illegal operations.
