Excise officials seized a large quantity of duplicate foreign liquor from a licensed wine shop near Bisra Road in Rourkela.
Acting on a tip-off, the department raided the shop and discovered three individuals filling bottles with counterfeit liquor and attaching fake labels in a backroom. Authorities confiscated a significant stock of duplicate foreign liquor and arrested the three accused.
Officials revealed that the racket extended beyond Rourkela. Duplicate liquor was being brought from Sambalpur and supplied to the Rourkela market. Raids are also underway in Sambalpur to trace the wider network.
The excise department confirmed that the outlet’s branch in Bonai is also under investigation. The seizure highlights the growing challenge of the counterfeit liquor trade in Odisha, which poses risks to public health and undermines consumer trust.
Authorities described the operation as a major success but admitted that the discovery of such a large quantity of fake liquor has intensified concerns about illegal trade in the state.
