4 held as Noida Police busts illegal liquor factory in Ghaziabad; 3 cops suspended

In a major haul, the Noida Police busted an illegal liquor factory running in adjoining Ghaziabad and arrested four persons Wednesday, seizing 15,000 litre of illicit liquor estimated worth Rs 50 lakh, officials said.

The factory was being run in Tronica City in the Sector 2 of Ghaziabad's Loni area under the garb of being of a "juice manufacturing unit", the police said.

Ghaziabad police chief Vaibhav Krishna said he has suspended an SHO, a police post in-charge, and a beat constable of the Tronica City police station for alleged dereliction of duty.

Sleuths from Noida Police had raided the factory which was running in a two-storeyed building and seized around 15,000 litres of illicit liquor.

A special two-day drive 'Operation Yellow Waters' is underway in Gautam Buddh Nagar to nab bootleggers and crackdown on trade of illicit liquor, Senior Superintendent of Police Ajay Pal Sharma said.

"On Tuesday, the police had arrested a bootlegger, Lokesh, and recovered 72 pints and 144 quarter bottles of liquor from him. When quizzed, he told the police that he procured the liquor from a 'godown' in Ghaziabad's Tronica City," Sharma said.

"A team of officials from Sector 24 police station raided the location and found a full-fledged liquor factory running stealthily. Four persons were found working on machine to produce the liquor and they were apprehended. Soon after, the entire plot was unveiled," he added.

Sharma said the factory was portrayed as a "juice" manufacturing firm.

According to police, they recovered 15,000 litres of alcohol, ethyl alcohol, caramel chemical stashed in 200 drums each having a capacity of 100 litres, empty bottles, wrappers, sealing machines, and three tanks of 5,000 litres each filled with liquor.

A truck, loaded with 600 cartons of liquor, a hatchback car and a motorcycle were impounded in the raid, they said.

The factory was being run by people working for gangster Amit alias Bhoora who carried a reward of Rs 10 lakh on his head and is presently lodged in Patiala jail, SSP Sharma said.

"Five people, including property dealer Prem Singhal who rented out the plot, were initially detained. However, only four of them were arrested," police said.

Those arrested have been identified as Harit Kaushik of Rohtak, Sumit Saini of Muzaffarnagar, Luvkush Khatik and Bose Kumar, both from Aligarh, police said, adding that they have been remanded in judicial custody.

According to police, liquor from this factory was being supplied across the National Capital Region (NCR), and places such as Shamli, Bagpath and Badaut in western Uttar Pradesh.

Also, the truck that was used for supply would use fake registration numbers and put up number plates of the district where they would go for delivery, they added.

"This factory was taken on lease on August 7 and was being run under the patronage of Amit Bhoora, jailed in Patiala, and one of his brothers who lives in Delhi," the police said.

A case has been registered at Noida Sector 24 police station under relevant sections of the Uttar Pradesh Excise Act.

Meanwhile, at least five other persons were arrested under 'Operation Yellow Waters' in separate incidents in Gautam Buddh Nagar for alleged recovery of large quantity of illegal liquor from them, according to police.