Racket selling expired imported items busted, 7 land in police net
The crime branch of Delhi Police has busted a racket involved in illegally importing expired international food products, altering their manufacturing and expiry dates, affixing them with fake barcodes, and repackaging them for sale across the country, said officials on Tuesday.
Acting on specific intelligence, the cyber cell of the crime branch raided multiple locations in the congested wholesale markets of Pahari Dheeraj and Faiz Ganj in north Delhi’s Sadar Bazar area.
The investigators uncovered a full-fledged underground “factory” dedicated to giving expired food a second illegal life. Seven accused, including the venture’s mastermind, were arrested, and food items roughly worth Rs 4.3 crore were seized, said Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Aditya Gautam.
According to investigators, the racket was the brainchild of 54-year-old Atal Jaiswal, who allegedly sourced near-expiry and expired international food consignments at throwaway prices from wholesalers in Mumbai.
The consignments originated from countries like the UK, USA and Dubai. When they reached India, they were already unfit for human consumption. Instead of being destroyed, as mandated by law, the products were systematically “re-manufactured” — their dates changed, labels altered, fake barcodes pasted, and packaging redone to make them appear freshly imported, the DCP added.
Police recovered over 43,700 kg of food items and more than 14,600 litres of beverages. From popular biscuits to sauces, and from energy drinks to condiments, the list reads like a brand catalogue of a global supermarket. Products from Oreo, Biscoff, Nutella, Pringles, Heinz, Lindt, Coca-Cola, Mountain Dew, Starbucks and imported baby food items and snacks were part of the seized stock.
Officials said the repackaged goods were supplied in bulk to major retail chains, shopping malls and e-commerce platform warehouses across India. The venture generated huge illegal profits while exposing unsuspecting consumers to serious health risks.
