T’puram: The excise enforcement squad has busted a fake liquor manufacturing unit in Enchakkal, that allegedly converted low-cost liquor purchased from Bevco into counterfeit premium Scotch brands such as Black Label and Chivas Regal.Hashim Zulfikar, 45, of Enchakkal, was arrested during the raid. Officials seized 14 litres of counterfeit liquor and another 6.5 litres of liquor purchased from Bevco, which was allegedly used as the base for producing fake premium brands.According to officials, Zulfikar blended different ingredients with the inexpensive liquor bought from Bevco, and labelled them as expensive Scotch whisky. The counterfeit products were made to resemble popular international brands, including Black Label and Chivas Regal.Excise officials suspect that the accused had been supplying the fake liquor to bars in and around Thiruvananthapuram. Police are examining the distribution network and trying to identify the establishments where the counterfeit liquor may have been sold. Samples of the seized liquor have been sent for laboratory analysis to determine its composition and whether it posed any health risks.“We are probing the source of the labels and packaging materials. The possibility of a wider distribution network is also being examined,” an excise official said.A case has been registered, and further investigation is under way.
