LUCKNOW, Feb. 23 -- The UP Excise Department late on Friday night busted a smuggling racket in a rural area of the state capital that was using fake QR codes to distribute illegal foreign liquor in Lucknow. The officials seized 135 bottles of illegal foreign liquor with forged QR codes and arrested one person in connection with the case.

Acting under the ongoing special enforcement drive ordered by the excise commissioner, Uttar Pradesh, the excise team carried out a raid in village Rusena on February 21. During the operation, officials recovered 109 quarter bottles and 26 half-bottles - a total of 135 bottles amounting to 29.37 bulk litres of illicit foreign liquor.

The raid was carried out under the supervision of the joint excise com...