The Delhi Police Crime Branch has busted a large-scale racket involved in the illegal import, tampering of expiry dates, and repackaging of expired international food products, seizing adulterated items worth nearly Rs 4.3 crore, officials said on Tuesday. Seven people have been arrested in connection with the case.
According to police, the expired products were being circulated through major retail outlets, shopping malls, and e-commerce platforms across the country, posing a serious risk to public health. Several of the seized items included baby food and other consumables, raising significant safety concerns.
7 people arrested
Acting upon specific secret information, the Cyber Cell of the Crime Branch conducted raids at Pahari Dheeraj and Faiz Ganj, Sadar Bazar, Delhi, an area known for dense wholesale markets. 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.
Seven accused persons involved in the racket have been arrested, including Atal Jaiswal (54) of Rana Pratap Bagh, Delhi, identified as the mastermind and godown owner; Shiv Kumar (40) from Giridih district in Jharkhand; Bishwajit Dhara (25) of Malviya Nagar, Delhi; Vinod (43) and Arun Kumar (30), both residents of Darbhanga in Bihar; Vijay Kant (50) from Jaunpur, Uttar Pradesh; and Shamim (30) of Etah, Uttar Pradesh.
Officials from the Food Safety Department of the Delhi government were called to the spot to collect samples and carry out legal formalities.
What did the investigation reveal?
According to police, the 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.
Instead of destroying them as mandated by law, the accused illegally "remanufactured" the products by changing manufacturing and expiry dates, altering labels and product information, affixing fake barcodes, batch numbers, and MRPs and repacking products in fresh-looking wrappers.
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.
Police seized 43,000 kg of food products
A case has been registered under sections 275, 318(4), 336, 340, and 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
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.
Police said that 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.
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