A 46-year-old man has been arrested by officials of the state excise department for allegedly possessing fake liquor. Cops suspect that he is a part of a gang involved in the manufacture and smuggling of spurious liquor across the city.

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The arrested accused, identified as Ganesh Shamji Bera, a resident of Koperkhairne area of Navi Mumbai, was nabbed on Thursday. A few bottles of foreign brands of whiskey and scotch were recovered from his two-wheeler. He has been booked under relevant sections of the Bombay Prohibition Act.

Following a tip-off about Bera possessing duplicate foreign liquor, he was under the radar of the officials. After tailing him for a few days, the cops spotted him near wine shop at Mankhurd-Ghatkopar Link Road on his bike carrying few liquor bottles.

"After laying a trap, Bera was arrested on Thursday. After he was grilled in custody, we got his residential address from where we recovered a few more bottles. Most of the liquor bottles were of Black Label whose cost ranged between Rs 29,000 and Rs 1 lakh," said a police officer who requested anonymity.

"However, we suspect the involvement of a few more people in this business of preparing and smuggling spurious liquor across the city. Further investigation of the case is underway," added the officer.

Bera has been booked under section 65 (E), (A), (B), (D), (F) and 108 of the Bombay Prohibition Act.