New Delhi, Dec 23 (IANS) The Crime Branch of Delhi Police has unearthed a massive racket involved in the illegal import, expiry date manipulation and repackaging of expired international food products, seizing adulterated items worth nearly Rs 4.3 crore, officials said on Tuesday.  

The operation has exposed a serious public health threat, with expired food—including baby food and consumables—being sold through retail chains, shopping malls and e-commerce platforms across the country.

Acting on specific intelligence, the Cyber Cell of the Crime Branch conducted raids in Pahari Dheeraj and Faiz Ganj areas of Sadar Bazar, a major wholesale hub in the capital.

“During the operation, seven persons, including the main mastermind, were apprehended, and huge quantities of expired international food products were recovered from shops and godowns,” the Delhi Police said in its press note.

Officials from the Food Safety Department of the Delhi government were called to the spot to collect samples and carry out legal formalities.

According to investigators, the racket was headed by Atal Jaiswal (54), who allegedly sourced near-expiry or expired international food consignments at throwaway prices through Mumbai-based wholesale agents.

“Investigation revealed that the mastermind accused Atal was importing near-expiry international food products at extremely low prices through Mumbai-based wholesale agents, who sourced consignments from the UK, USA, Dubai, and other countries. By the time these consignments reached India, most of the products had already expired or become unfit for human consumption,” the police said.

Instead of destroying the expired stock as required under law, the accused allegedly altered manufacturing and expiry dates, affixed fake barcodes and batch numbers, and repackaged the products to make them appear fresh and genuine.

Police said the tampered products were supplied in bulk to well-known retail outlets, malls and online platforms across India, earning huge illegal profits while exposing consumers to serious health risks.

The recovery of printing machines, sealing equipment and date-altering devices confirmed the existence of a full-fledged illegal repackaging and adulteration unit.

A case has been registered under the relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita at the Crime Branch police station.

The seized items include over 43,000 kg of food products and more than 14,600 litres of beverages, ranging from biscuits, chocolates and snacks to sauces, condiments and energy drinks of popular international brands.

“Strict legal action will be taken against all individuals involved in the illegal trade of adulterated and expired food products to ensure that such hazardous items do not reach the public,” said DCP Harsh Indora.

–IANS

sas/dan