Hyderabad: Two adulterated ginger-garlic paste units busted, 2 arrested; ₹7 lakh worth stock seized
Both units were found operating in violation of food safety norms and manufacturing adulterated ginger-garlic paste
By - Newsmeter Network
Hyderabad: In a major crackdown on food adulteration, Hyderabad police’s Commissioner’s Task Force (Khairtabad Zone), in coordination with GHMC Food Safety officials, busted two illegal ginger-garlic paste manufacturing units in Borabanda and Tappachabutra.
The police arrested two persons and seizing adulterated stock and machinery worth nearly ₹7 lakh.
Simultaneous raids based on credible inputs
Acting on specific intelligence, Task Force teams carried out separate surprise inspections at Madhura Nagar in Borabanda and Malaimet in Tappachabutra.
Both units were found operating in violation of food safety norms and manufacturing adulterated ginger-garlic paste.
Two accused arrested
In the Borabanda case, Mohd Abdullah was arrested for running a unit under the name A1 Sahara Gold Ginger and Garlic Paste.
In Tappachabutra, Mohammed Zafar Alam (42), owner of Sahara India, was apprehended for similar offences.
Both accused were later handed over to the respective police stations for further investigation.
Unhygienic manufacturing conditions exposed
Officials found that both units were operating in extremely unhygienic environments. The paste was being prepared in plastic containers and stored in open tubs exposed to dust, flies and other contaminants.
Police said such conditions made the products unsafe and unfit for human consumption.
Use of chemicals and sub-standard materials
During inspections, authorities discovered that the accused were using low-quality raw materials and mixing additives such as citric acid, acetic acid and excess salt to enhance shelf life and increase volume.
These practices rendered the products adulterated and hazardous to public health.
Wide supply network across Hyderabad
Investigations revealed that the adulterated ginger-garlic paste was being supplied in bulk to wholesale kirana stores, restaurants and catering services across the city. Police said the illegal operations were generating significant profits.
Large quantities of stock seized
From the two units, police seized large quantities of adulterated paste, raw materials and equipment.
In Tappachabutra alone, 1,155 kg of adulterated paste was confiscated, including tubs, drums and packaged boxes.
In Borabanda, stocks, raw materials, salt bags, packaging pouches and machinery such as grinders, mixers and sealing units were seized.
The total value of seized items from both locations is estimated at around ₹7 lakh.
FSSAI licence violations detected
Officials found serious irregularities in food safety licences. In Borabanda, the licence was registered in the name of the accused’s father but was being misused by the accused.
In Tappachabutra, the address mentioned in the FSSAI licence did not match the actual manufacturing unit, indicating violations of regulatory norms.
Further investigation underway
Police have registered cases and launched further investigations to trace the supply chain and identify other persons involved in the illegal operations.
The raids were carried out by the Khairtabad Task Force team under the supervision of Deputy Commissioner of Police Vaibhav Gaikwad Raghunath, IPS, along with local police and GHMC Food Safety officials.
