Surat Police Uncover Major Spurious Ghee Manufacturing Operation in Mandvi
In a significant crackdown on food adulteration, the Mandvi police team in Surat district conducted a raid on Thursday, busting an alleged spurious ghee manufacturing unit located at Khedpur village near Mandvi. The operation led to the seizure of a substantial 810 kilograms of adulterated ghee, with an estimated market value of approximately Rs 6.65 lakh.
Discovery of Suspicious Materials and Packaging
During the raid, police made alarming discoveries beyond the fake ghee. They found packs of toilet cleaner and tobacco at the unit, raising serious concerns about the safety and hygiene of the manufacturing process. The product was being marketed under the brand name "Yadugiri Pure Cow Ghee", with packaging that falsely claimed it to be of premium quality.
Authorities recovered about 97,000 stickers of the brand intended for ghee packs. Based on the volume of stickers and containers discovered, police suspect this was a large-scale racket operating systematically to deceive consumers.
Details of the Manufacturing Setup and Equipment
The illicit unit was operating from premises in Agreshwar City Point and had been active for several months. Investigation revealed that Hemraj Rajpurohit, aged 39, was allegedly running the operation from his residence. From his house, police confiscated a range of equipment and materials used for producing and packaging the counterfeit ghee.
- A gas stove and cooking gas cylinder
- Two steel containers for processing
- An electric weighing scale for measurement
- Synthetic food colour for adulteration
- Heat guns for sealing
- An electromagnetic induction foil capping machine
- Batch coding and packaging machines
Additionally, police seized plastic bottles of various sizes and numerous stickers meant for application on these bottles, indicating a well-organized packaging operation.
Further Seizures and Ongoing Investigation
In a concerning twist, police also confiscated around 1,000 toilet cleaner bottles with thousands of stickers, 1,960 tobacco pouches, and approximately 200 litres of acid stored in four barrels. A food and drug control department registration certificate was found at the site, which is now under scrutiny for potential misuse.
Police have stated that further investigation is underway to identify the source of raw materials, trace the distribution network, and determine whether other products were being repackaged or mislabelled. Samples of the seized items have been sent to a laboratory for comprehensive testing. Based on the results, authorities will decide their subsequent course of action, which may include legal proceedings and broader crackdowns on similar operations.
This raid highlights the ongoing challenges in food safety regulation and the need for vigilant enforcement to protect consumers from hazardous adulterated products.
