Hyderabad: The Telangana excise department on Wednesday, October 15, busted a foreign liquor racket allegedly run by a Jubilee Hills-based travel agent and seized 52 bottles in the operation.

According to a press release, a travel agent identified as Sumit had been smuggling in foreign liquor under the guise of a travel agency and selling it to customers in Hyderabad.

The racket came to light when excise department teams caught a man named Murthy Yugender selling these bottles on a two-wheeler in Borabanda. Nine bottles were seized from him.

Upon interrogation, Murthy revealed that he had obtained the bottles from one Manish Kumar. Excise teams uncovered an additional 43 bottles from the latter’s house and car.

A case has been registered, and two of the accused have been arrested. Excise officials have also seized a car, a two-wheeler and 52 bottles of foreign liquor, all worth an estimated Rs 6 lakh.