Acting on a tip-off, officials of the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) laid a trap at CST yesterday and arrested a man smuggling gutka consignment worth lakhs. The operation was executed under FDA Assistant Commissioner Shailesh Aadaw's supervision
“Gutka worth Rs 23.1 lakh was hidden in his luggage. We will prosecute the man for carrying banned substance with the intention of supplying it in the state. He had hidden the packets in his luggage under his clothes,” said FDA Joint Commissioner (Food) Suresh Deshmukh.u00a0
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Sources said the seized product was supposed to be sold in the market for Diwali.
Ghee, oil seized
“We are leaving no stone unturned. Apart from gutka, we are also seizing adulterated items such as ghee, milk, oil and mawa, among others. We have been seizing all substandard food released in the market. With Diwali around the corner, there are chances of fake and adulterated products flooding the market. So we have asked our men to keep an eye out,” said Deshmukh.
On Thursday, FDA officials seized ghee and oil worth Rs 9 lakh from a Ghatkopar store. They had received a tip-off that the products were adulterated and unfit for consumption.
“We have sent the material for testing and are awaiting the results. As a precautionary measure, we have made it mandatory for all sweetshop owners to get their workers medically tested. Though most sweetshops maintain hygiene, places where these sweets are made at times are unhygienic and workers who make them could be medically unfit,” Deshmukh said. u00a0