Ludhiana, Aug. 31 -- Excise officials have busted a racket in Ludhiana where fraudsters were refilling empty bottles of premium imported liquor with low-grade alcohol and selling them to unsuspecting customers at exorbitant rates.

Acting on a tip-off, enforcement teams of the Ludhiana East Range raided a premises on Friday and arrested Amit Vij of Mehmoodpura and Pankaj Saini of New Madhopuri. Officials said the duo was running a well-organised operation to exploit the soaring demand for luxury alcohol.

Investigators revealed that bottles of top brands, such as Glenlivet, Black Dog, Chivas Regal, Johnnie Walker Gold Label, Hendrick's Gin and Godawan were being refilled with inferior locally sourced liquor. "This was a clear attempt to c...