The special cell of Ludhiana police on Sunday said it unearthed a premium liquor scam in Ludhiana wherein fraudsters were refilling empty bottles of premium imported labels with cheap liquor and selling them to unsuspecting buyers at high prices. A person has been arrested and 16 litres of liquor filled in cans, along with 500 empty bottles of various luxury brands, have been seized, officials said.
According to the police, the accused used to buy empty bottles from scrap dealers. After pasting labels and putting a seal, they sold the bottles at higher prices.
The arrested person has been identified as Manmeet Singh of Guru Angad Dev Nagar, who worked at a local beer bar. A hunt is on to arrest his three aides, officials said. The accused ran the illegal operation from his house. The police also found that the accused had supplied the pilfered bottles to beer bars and liquor vends in Nawanshahr and Jalandhar. The police arrested the accused near Flower Chowk following a tip-off.
ASI Raj Kumar, who is investigating the case, said the accused were refilling empty bottles of iconic brands like Glenlivet, Black Dog, Chivas Regal, Johnnie Walker Gold Label, Hendrick’s Gin, and Godawan with low-grade liquor sourced locally. The accused used to procure the machines and material to put seals on liquor bottles from Kolkata.
He added that it was a clear attempt to cheat consumers and pocket huge profits while depriving the state of revenue.
{{/usCountry}}He added that it was a clear attempt to cheat consumers and pocket huge profits while depriving the state of revenue.
{{/usCountry}}Further, the ASI added that the accused confessed that they were involved in supplying the such liquor bottles to the restaurants, bars and liquor vends, including the bar Manmeet worked at.
An FIR under Sections 61, 1, 14 of the Excise Act, Sections 318(4) (cheating and dishonestly inducing the delivery of property), 338 (forgery of valuable securities, wills, or authorities to transfer property), 336 (3) (forgery for the purpose of cheating) and 340 (2) (using a forged document or electronic record as genuine, knowing or having reason to believe it is forged) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita has been registered against the accused at the Sadar police station. The police expect more important information from the accused during questioning.
Past instances
On August 30, 2025, excise officials unearthed a similar case when two persons — Amit Vij of Mehmoodpura and Pankaj Saini of New Madhopuri — were arrested. Both were allegedly masterminding the racket, which preyed on the booming demand for premium alcohol.
On March 22 last year, excise officials from Ludhiana east range had unearthed a large-scale liquor scam involving the refilling of premium Scotch whisky bottles with low-grade alcohol. Several premises in Jaspal Bangar, Lohara and Kanganwal areas were raided.