LUCKNOW, Sept. 15 -- For the second time in recent weeks, the excise department has busted a racket in Lucknow selling cheap liquor packaged in premium brand bottles to unsuspecting customers. The officials arrested an accused following a raid on a house in Chitwapur locality under Hussainganj police station limits, during the early hours of Saturday and Sunday, officials said. Acting on a tip-off, a team led by district excise officer (Lucknow) Karunendra Singh and excise inspector Arvind Baghel recovered empty 750ml and 375ml bottles of premium liquor brands, counterfeit caps, forged QR codes and about three litres of spurious liquor from the spot. The accused was identified as Ram Pal, son of Ram Lakhan Pal, a resident of Chitwapur. Police registered a case against him under relevant sections of the Excise Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and sent him to jail, officials said. On August 31 last, Hindustan Times had reported a similar case where racketeers refilled premium foreign liquor bottles with low-grade alcohol, resealed them using counterfeit caps and fake QR codes ordered through the dark web, and lured customers with late-night doorstep delivery. The department had also arrested four gang members who used the same modus operandi. Officials said the gang sourced empty liquor bottles in large quantities from scrap dealers and even beggars. These bottles were refilled with cheaper liquor, resealed, and pushed back into the market as premium alcohol. "The gang even charged extra for home delivery after closure of liquor shops, despite no official order allowing it in Lucknow," excise officials confirmed. Excise officials also launched a citywide enforcement drive over the weekend. Teams led by Vijay Rathi, excise inspector (Sector 9); Shikhar Mall, excise inspector (Sector 6); and Abhishek Singh, excise inspector (Circle 4) conducted surprise checks on highways and in the city. Heavy vehicles, including trucks and tankers, as well as private cars and commercial vehicles, were stopped and inspected on Sitapur-Lucknow road during late-night hours....