GUWAHATI: The alleged mastermind behind an illegal liquor manufacturing unit in Barapani, Meghalaya, Prag Raj Singla, was arrested by the Kamrup Metro Excise Department on Tuesday, March 4. Singla, suspected to be the key figure in the illicit operation, was taken into custody in Guwahati and will be presented in court today, March 5, according to a source.
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This arrest comes after a joint operation by the Assam and Meghalaya Excise Departments, which uncovered an extensive illegal liquor network in the region. Authorities first intercepted a truck at Khanapara, Guwahati, where they found 10,000 counterfeit labels of an Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) brand. The truck driver was detained, and after interrogation, he revealed information about the illegal distillery operating in Meghalaya.
A subsequent raid on the facility resulted in the seizure of over 3,000 cases of counterfeit IMFL. Additionally, a fully operational manufacturing unit was uncovered, producing fake versions of several well-known liquor brands. Authorities confiscated equipment, including blending vats, Extra Neutral Alcohol (ENA) vats, labelling machines, hologram fixers, capping machines, packaging materials, branded labels, empty bottles, as well as flavouring and colouring agents.
The investigation is ongoing.