Police busted adulterated spice-making racket in Delhi

New Delhi: The Delhi Police have busted an adulterated Indian spice-making racket in the national capital and arrested three people, including owners of processing units. 

The police have seized 15 tonnes of spurious spices being manufactured at two factories in northeast Delhi's Karawal Nagar area. 

According to the police, the three arrested were supplying adulterated spices with ingredients like chilli heads and acids to local markets and vendors in Delhi and surrounding areas for the same price as the original products. 

Seized items included rotten leaves and rice, spoiled millets, wood dust, chilli heads, and acids and oils used in producing counterfeit products, said Rakesh Paweriya, DCP (crime branch).

Dilip Singh (46), Sarfaraj (32)—the owners of the units—and Khurseed Malik (42) were arrested, the officer said. 

The police received information regarding the involvement of certain manufacturers and shopkeepers in northeast Delhi in the production and sale of adulterated spices under various brands. The police raided these manufacturing units on Sunday, Paweriya said. 

"The Department of Food & Safety was informed, which conducted inspections, and collected samples of the recovered adulterated spices from both factories. During interrogation, it was revealed that arrested persons indulged in this job for the past four to five years," the police officer said.