Sangrur: In a significant operation, the Devbhumi Dwarka police have busted a factory in the Sangrur district of Punjab that manufactures alcoholic ayurvedic syrup exclusively targeting markets in Gujarat.
The deceptive product, labelled as an 'ayurvedic herbal drink,' is distributed in pan shops across Gujarat, despite the state's prohibition on alcohol sales, according to a report in Times of India.
Approximately two lakh bottles of this syrup had been illicitly transported to Gujarat within the past year by the factory.
During the police operation, raw materials were seized from the factory, enough to produce an additional two lakh bottles of the prohibited syrup. The factory, driven by its rapid popularity among consumers, had been considering expanding its operations further.
The factory's proprietor, Pankaj Khosla, has been apprehended by the police. Earlier in the same month, a similar factory producing the same type of syrup was busted in Changodar in Ahmedabad district, reports Times of India.
The police raid was triggered by revelations from Chirag Thobhani, a distributor residing in Ahmedabad, who had been in custody due to his connection with the Changodar factory.
Thobhani's testimony exposed the supply chain originating from Punjab.
The initial arrest leading to this breakthrough occurred on August 6 when driver Akram Najir Banva was apprehended and his truck confiscated near Bhanvadi village in the Khambhalia taluka.
The suppliers and buyers for the syrup coming from the two factories were reportedly, different.
According to the police, the accused were making easy money by selling alcoholic syrup freely in Gujarat, generating counterfeit invoices with forged GST numbers for facilitating the unauthorized transportation of materials to Gujarat.