RACKET INVOLVED IN ILLEGAL IMPORT, EXPIRY DATE MANIPULATION AND REPACKAGING OF EXPIRED FOOD PRODUCTS
Face2News/New Delhi
The Cyber Cell of Crime Branch, Delhi Police has busted a highly organised and systematic racket involved in the illegal import of expired international branded food products, manipulation of manufacturing and expiry dates, fake barcode printing, and repackaging of expired items to sell them as genuine products across India. The total value of the seized items is approximately ₹4.3 crore.
These expired food products were being sold through major retail chains, shopping malls, and e-commerce platforms across India, posing a grave threat to public health, especially as several seized items included baby food and consumables.
Acting upon specific secret information, the Crime Branch came to know about an organised racket wherein certain individuals were illegally importing expired international branded food products into India at throwaway prices. These products were then fraudulently altered by changing manufacturing and expiry dates, affixing fake barcodes and batch numbers and repacking them to appear as freshly manufactured imported products.
Accordingly, raids were conducted 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.
Officials from the Food Safety Department, GNCT of Delhi, were called at the spot. Samples were drawn as per procedure, and the recovered items were seized.
MODUS OPERANDI: Mr. Harsh Indora, IPS, DCP Crime Branch, said, 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 “re-manufactured” the products by: • Changing manufacturing and expiry dates • Altering labels and product information • Affixing fake barcodes, batch numbers, and MRPs • Repacking products in fresh-looking wrappers
These tampered products were then supplied in bulk to Modern Bazaar, Food Story, Nature Basket, major retail chains, prominent malls, and various e-commerce platforms across India, generating huge illegal profits while endangering public health.
The recovery of complete printing, sealing, and date-altering machinery confirms the existence of a full-fledged illegal adulteration and repackaging factory.
Accordingly, a case vide FIR No. 355/25 has been registered at PS Crime Branch, u/s 275, 318(4), 336, 340 and 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
Seven accused namely Atal Jaiswal (54 yrs) – R/o Rana Pratap Bagh, Delhi (Mastermind & godown owner), Shiv Kumar (40 yrs) – R/o District Giridih, Jharkhand, Bishwajit Dhara (25 yrs) – R/o Malviya Nagar, Delhi. Vinod (43 yrs) – R/o Darbhanga, Bihar, Arun Kumar (30 yrs) – R/o Darbhanga, Bihar, Vijay Kant (50 yrs) – R/o Jaunpur, Uttar Pradesh. Shamim (30 yrs) – R/o Etah, Uttar Pradesh
RECOVERY & SEIZURE: • Hand-held inkjet printers • Cartridges and steel plates• Taping and sealing machines• Thinner, chemicals, glue guns• Fake label rolls and barcode stickers
Total Seizure Details: • Total food items recovered: 43,762 kg • Total drinks recovered: 14,665 litres
• Snacks, chocolates, biscuits, wafers, candies, chips: 6,047 kg • Ketchup, sauces, vinegar, mayonnaise: 23,050 kg Biscuits & Baked Goods:• Oreo, Mini Oreo, Oreo Mini Biscuit, Oreo Wafer Stick, Orea Dutch Cocoa Wafer, Biscoff Biscuits, Pocky Chocolate Sticks, McVities Nibbles, TUC Biscuits, Ritz, Hello Panda Meiji, Weetabix, Kellogg’s Frosties.
Beverages / Drinks:• Fanta, Fanta Red, Fanta Zero Sugar, Fanta Can Lichi, Fanta Pineapple Can, Arizona, Mountain Dew, Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola Original Taste, Coca-Cola Zero, Mirinda Sodakem, 7Up Tropical Can, Dr Pepper Blackberry Can, Snapple Drink, Snepell Carino Drink, Prime Lemon Lime, Rropical Skittles Drink, Lipton Kombucha Strawberry Mint, Lipton Kombucha Mango Passion Fruit, Lipton Kombucha Energy Drink, C-4 Energy Drink, Java Monster, Double Shot, Triple Shot, Galaxy Iced Coffee, Starbucks Coffee, Costa Coffee, Nescafe Coffee Original.
Sauces & Condiments: • Heinz Ketchup, Heinz Tomato Soup, Hellmann’s Mayonnaise, LEA & Perrins Sauce, Kikkoman Seasoned Rice Vinegar, Bachon Oyster Sauce, Kewpie Mayonnaise, Kraft Parmesan Cheese Powder, Skippy Creamy Peanut Butter, HP-type imported sauces
Chocolates: • Nutella, Biscoff Chocolate Spread, Lindt Chocolate, Lindor Chocolate, Ferrero Rocher, Galaxy Chocolate, Diablo Chocolate, Cadbury Dairy Milk Chocolate (imported variants), Cadbury Twirl bites, Feast Ables.
Candies & Confectionery:
• Ice Breakers Mint, Starburst Pops, Foxis Strawberry Candy, Fruit Tella, Weather’s Original Candy, Chupa Chups, Wanka Nerds, Original Skittles, Skittles Taste the Rainbow.
Snacks (Savoury): • Pringles Chips, Lays Stax, Cheetos Mini.
Other Food / Grocery Items: • Old El Paso Beans, Old El Paso Seasoning Mix, Heinz Beanz, Beinz Beanz, Tahina Al Ameera, OAIBIX, Huel, PAM Canola Oil Beans.