VIJAYAWADA: Excise authorities have busted a major spurious liquor racket, arresting 36 persons and seizing 2,232 litres of illegal spirit. Acting on intelligence inputs, the excise teams conducted raids across several districts—including Konaseema, West Godavari, Anakapalli, Bapatla, and Nellore between June 23 and July 22. In addition to the illegal spirit, officials seized empty bottles, bottle caps, sealing machines, and counterfeit labels, indicating an inter-state operation wherein spirit was diverted under the guise of industrial use.