Fake labels mask cheap alcohol; 500 bottles seized in Ludhiana.

Ludhiana: Police have dismantled a sophisticated luxury liquor syndicate that allegedly refilled discarded premium bottles with cheap alcohol to sell at high-end prices to bars and vendors.The Special Cell of Ludhiana police arrested Manmeet Singh, a local bar employee, after discovering more than 500 empty bottles of iconic brands, including Glenlivet, Chivas Regal, and Hendrick's Gin. Authorities are searching for three accomplices still on the run.Investigators say the group sourced empty bottles from scrap dealers and used specialised machinery brought from Kolkata to reseal them, making the counterfeit products nearly indistinguishable from genuine imports. The illicit operation reportedly supplied several restaurants, liquor vends, and bars across Ludhiana, Nawanshahr, and Jalandhar.Assistant sub-inspector Raj Kumar said the suspects had confessed to refilling the luxury containers with low-grade spirits to maximise profits. In addition to the empty bottles, police seized 16 litres of bulk liquor stored in canisters intended for bottling.Bar employee Manmeet Singh faces multiple charges under the Excise Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Police are trying to trace the full extent of the distribution network.