Hyderabad: The Excise Special Task Force has seized 98 bottles of allegedly non-duty-paid liquor worth around Rs 2 lakh near Pahadi Shareef, close to Rajiv Gandhi International Airport.
Two men from Ibrahimpatnam have been accused of bringing liquor from Goa and selling it illegally in and around Hyderabad, according to Excise officials.
The accused were identified as Kuntimalli Srinivas, who operates a grocery business, and P.V.V.S. Ramakrishna. Officials alleged that the two frequently travelled to Goa during weekends and purchased liquor there before returning to Hyderabad by air.
Investigators suspect the liquor was being sold to customers who visited the grocery shop and to people arranging private gatherings. The alleged operation is said to have generated unlawful profits from liquor on which Telangana duty had not been paid.
Acting on specific information, Excise STF A and B teams carried out vehicle checks during the early hours of Tuesday near Pahadi Shareef. Officials intercepted a car allegedly linked to the accused and recovered 42 liquor bottles.
Further checks led to the recovery of another 56 bottles, taking the total seizure to 98 bottles. The vehicle allegedly used to transport the liquor was also impounded.
The seized bottles and vehicle were handed over to the Shamshabad Excise Station for further legal proceedings. Officials estimated the value of the seized liquor at approximately Rs 2 lakh.
The operation was conducted under the supervision of STF inspectors M.P.R. Chandrasekhar and Bhiksha Reddy, with team leaders Vishnumurthy and Fayazuddin and other Excise personnel participating.
The investigation is continuing. The allegations against the two men are yet to be tested in court. Source details were reported by The Siasat Daily
