Major Breakthrough in ₹9-Crore Imported Liquor Smuggling Case, Second Wine Shop Owner Arrested

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the massive ₹9-crore imported liquor smuggling racket has achieved a significant breakthrough with the arrest of Sugreev Kumar, a 50 per cent partner of a wine shop, who had been absconding abroad to evade arrest.

Sugreev Kumar, a resident of Fatehabad, was arrested from Delhi Airport upon his return from Indonesia, where he had fled after learning about an impending raid. Acting swiftly, the police had issued a Look-Out Circular (LOC) with the help of Interpol, leading to his deportation to India.

The accused was produced before a local court, which granted the police five days’ custody remand for further interrogation. With this arrest, the police have so far apprehended five accused in the case.

Massive Seizure of Illegal Foreign Liquor

The case dates back to December 9, when the Excise Department received intelligence about a huge stock of imported liquor stored illegally at The Theka wine shop near Signature Tower, Gurugram. During a raid, officials recovered 3,921 cartons and 176 bottles of foreign liquor from two rooms of the shop.

The seized liquor was found without mandatory holograms and track-and-trace strips, indicating large-scale excise and customs duty evasion. A case was registered at Sector-40 Police Station, and an SIT was constituted under the supervision of the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime).

Smuggling for Huge Profits

Investigations revealed that Sugreev Kumar, along with his associates, procured the liquor through intermediaries and stocked it illegally to reap huge profits by evading taxes. The operation involved transportation of liquor without proper documentation, holograms, or excise clearance.

Police sources confirmed that the accused fled to Indonesia on December 11 to avoid arrest. However, he was nabbed immediately upon landing in Delhi late Monday night.

Criminal History and Earlier Arrests

Further background checks revealed that Sugreev Kumar was earlier booked in 2011 under the Excise Act at DLF Phase-2 Police Station.

Earlier, the SIT had arrested:

• Ankul Goyal, 25 per cent partner of the wine shop
• Ajay, the shop manager
• Ajay, the driver involved in transportation
• Manoj, accused of preparing fake transport documents

SIT Tightens Noose

Police officials said further questioning of Sugreev Kumar is expected to expose wider links in the smuggling network, including suppliers, transport routes, and financial transactions.

“The investigation is ongoing, and more arrests cannot be ruled out,” a senior police officer said.

The case is being seen as one of the largest crackdowns on illegal imported liquor trade in the region, highlighting the authorities’ resolve to curb excise fraud and organized smuggling.