Ranchi, March 25: Excise police today arrested seven persons from the Kanke area involved in illicit liquor trade.

About 1,800 litres of liquor worth Rs 5 lakh were seized from them. The seized liquor was packed in the bottles carrying brand names like Mc Dowell, Bagpiper, AC SEKC and 8PM.

The booty was being carried on a Tata-407 truck and a Maruti van to the godown of one Bhola Thakur at Kumar Bag Road under Kanke police station area.

Excise sub-inspector Dilip Singh said they were not sure of the quality of the liquor seized and would send the material to Forensic Science Laboratory for chemical test.

“We are not sure whether the liquor is spurious. We can only say that after the reports of the chemical test arrive,” he said.

According to department sources, the breakthrough was made in the Kanke area following a tip off.

“Sources told us about the truck carrying illegal liquor at Kanke. When we reached the spot, we noticed a truck parked outside Bhola’s godown. Before the truck could move, we intercepted it. After a brief questioning, we found that our information was correct. Later, we seized the truck and conducted a raid inside the godown to seize the liquor kept there,” Singh further said.

Sources added that the trader had no license to sell the liquor.

“They used to purchase it through some illegal sources and sell it below the market price. This way, they adversely affected the business of liquor sellers, who held valid licences. This liquor, our information tells us, was sold at roadside dhabas and hotels,” an official of the department said.

Those arrested include Bhola Thakur, Naveen Thakur, Rajendra Nayak, Shiva Kacchap, Rajesh Khalkho and two others.