The sleuths of the Commissioner’s Task Force, Shamshabad Zone, Hyderabad, have successfully busted an illegal food manufacturing and distribution operation and apprehended two persons, the police said on Saturday, August 15.
The accused have been identified as Mohammad Khaleed, the owner of KSM Food Products in Balapur, and Santosh Kumar, his manager.
The food products and raw materials found on the premises were jars of Soanpapdi, chikki, unlabelled flavours, ingredients, jaggery, dry fruit, flour, and coconut powder. The entire haul is valued at Rs 4,07,300.
According to the police, Khaleed started his
business but realised soon enough that his earnings weren’t enough to sustain the enterprise.
So he, along with his accomplice and manager, Kumar, decided to use expired or substandard flavours and ingredients to make easy money.
Based on a tip-off, the Taskforce conducted a raid on the firm in Bongloor village, Adibatla Municipality, Ranga Reddy district.
During the raid, the premises were also found to be maintained in unhygienic conditions.
Subsequently, the information was passed on to the H-FAST Team, and the apprehended persons, along with the seized items, were handed over to them.