``No illegal manufacturing unit can exist without the active connivance of the local police. The odour emanating from such a factory is so overpowering, it is difficult to accept that people in the vicinity, including policemen, cannot pinpoint the source,'' said Gupta.

He lauded the efforts of the 60-member Excise Intelligence Bureau (EIB) in unearthing an illegal liquor manufacturing unit at Shahdara today -- the first such in Capital in three years. Excise department officials conducted a raid at house number 885, E-1, Lohia Gali number 4, Babarpur in Shahdara, owned by Shiv Kumar, early this morning. The team recovered 1,580 pouches of illicit liquor and eight cases of IMFL, meant for sale only in Rajasthan.

Shiv Kumar and five of his associates -- Israt Khan, Imran Khan, Arif Khan, Jagdish and Deepak Gupta -- were arrested following the raid. A case has been registered against them at Welcome Police Station.

Subsequent investigations revealed that the accused had procured two 50 litre cans of rectified spirit from Gajuraula in UP. After diluting the spirit and mixing artificial flavours, the liquor was packed in pouches inscribed with the name of a Ghaziabad distillery.

When EIB officials conducted the raid today, they discovered that one 50 litre can had already been used, and the consignments had been supplied to several areas in Brahmpuri, Trilokpuri and Noida.

Initially, Shiv Kumar and his associates claimed that they were only agents and the illicit liquor was manufactured elsewhere. But after the recovery of the cans of rectified spirit, five packaging machines, gravity measurement instruments and other equipment, the accused confessed to manufacturing the liquor in Shiv Kumar's house.

Gupta claimed said that today's haul confirmed that ``there is a deep-rooted conspiracy to belittle the government''. A fortnight ago, IMFL, meant for sale only in Rajasthan was recovered from a tempo in the Mukherjee Nagar area.

This led to the recovery from a civil supplies corporation vend. The manager of the vend was arrested and later released on bail.

``Following this, we have double the spot checks at all liquor vends, including those run by government agencies,'' said Gupta.

The Delhi Police have been informed about today's raid. ``We have requested them to examine the role of the beat constables and the local SHO,'' said an official in the excise department.