India: Excise officials raid United Breweries plant in Karnataka

Excise officials conducted a massive raid on the United Breweries (UB) manufacturing unit located in Nanjangud, under the Chamarajanagar Lok Sabha constituency, and seized liquor and raw materials amounting to ₹98.56 crores, Chamarajanagara excise deputy commissioner Naga Shayana said on April 4.

He said that the excise authorities on April 2 uncovered a cache of beer and raw materials, which were allegedly unlawfully stored and utilised within the premises. Among the confiscated items were ₹6.03 lakh worth of beer boxes, containing a whopping 66.16 lakh litres of beer stored in tanks, along with 6.5 lakh kilograms of raw material.

He further said the preliminary investigations have revealed that the manufacturing unit was allegedly involved in the illegal production and distribution of beer, with an intended destination identified as Kerala. It was uncovered that approximately 7,000 beer cartons had been surreptitiously stored on the premises, indicative of illicit activities aimed at circumventing legal regulations.

Shayana said, “We received information about the illicit storage of beer and that they were going to be shifted to Kerala soon. Immediately, we conducted a raid at the beer facility at UB and seized raw materials, cartons, and bottles. During interrogation, it was discovered that the company manufactured beer without any record. We booked 17 persons, including workers who were on the spot under the Excise Act. This is one of the biggest illicit liquor hauls in the state in recent times.”

The deputy commissioner said that a case has been filed against 17 individuals suspected of involvement in the illicit operation, and an intensive investigation by the excise police is currently underway.

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