New Delhi: Does the colour of your scotch look darker than usual? If you have managed to get a good deal from unmentionable sources, chances are your single malt might not be genuine.
Be it Diwali, Christmas or New Year no celebration is complete without a well stocked bar.
But, with the government allowing the sale of foreign liquor in November last year, the illegal market of foreign spirits is already flourishing.
ACP Excise Intelligence Bureau, Deepak Purohit, says that liquor trade is at an all-time high this time of the year. "The Excise Department is on high alert and ready to crack down on illegal traders."
"We have introduced a silver hologram that will be engraved on genuine licensed products so people can differentiate between the real thing and cheap imitations."
The Excise Department has already seized over a 100 bottles of illegal foreign liquor and officials are on the lookout for the traders involved in the scam.
However despite the best effort of the excise officials, recorded sales of illegal liquor has already crossed the Rs 6 crore mark.
Sub Inspector, Excise Intelligence bureau Bhanu Pratap says that the demand for illegal liquor has them worried, as this would lead to an active and thriving black market.
"These traders are few in number and very difficult to detect making our task extremely tough," he added.
According to the Excise Department, five star hotels and lowly employees in embassies are some of the people who procure and sell illegal liquor.
Comments
0 comment