Dehradun:

A joint team of Uttarakhand Police’s Special Task Force (STF) and Excise Department on Wednesday busted an illicit liquor factory being run in a house at Mukhani in Nainital district and arrested one person.

A large quantity of illicit liquor, chemicals, raw material and equipment have been recovered from inside the factory, STF Senior Superintendent of Police Navneet Singh Bhullar said.

The illicit liquor factory was being run in a rented house for the last one month and the illicit liquor manufactured there was being supplied in Haldwani area, he said, adding that chemicals and other raw materials for manufacturing the liquor were brought from Uttar Pradesh’s Moradabad.

The main accused Vishal Mandal has been arrested. He is a resident of Lalkuan in Nainital district and half a dozen cases are already registered against him in Uttarakhand Police and Excise Department, the SSP (STF) said.

The house was raided following a tip off and Mandal was caught red handed while preparing illicit liquor of Bajpur Gulab Malta brand, Bhullar said.

People living nearby had no idea about this factory and the prepared liquor was being supplied to the restaurants and hotels of Haldwani area.

The STF has also got significant clues about the person from Uttar Pradesh who was supplying the raw material for producing illicit liquor. Action will be taken against him too, the official said.

Six cases for making and smuggling illicit liquor are already registered against Mandal in Kathgodam, Haldwani and Lalkuan police stations and the Excise Department of Nainital district, Bhullar said.

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