SRINAGAR: Delhi Police have arrested six men and seized over 1,600 kg of adulterated ghee from three illegal manufacturing units in northeast Delhi, officials said on Thursday, as per multiple media reports.
The crackdown, carried out in Shiv Vihar, Karawal Nagar and Mustafabad, comes ahead of the festive season, with authorities warning that the spurious product contained harmful chemicals. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has cautioned that consumption of such adulterated ghee can even lead to cancer.
The arrested men have been identified as Safiq (30), Yusuf Malik (50), his son Mehboob (22), Shakir, Sharukh and Zamaluddin (40). Police teams seized 105 iron tins filled with 1,625 kg of spurious ghee, along with chemicals, stoves, gas cylinders and packaging material resembling popular brands, according to CNBC TV18.
Investigators said the accused procured vanaspati ghee and cheap refined oil in bulk, which they mixed with chemical-based flavouring agents and unsafe additives to mimic the texture and taste of pure desi ghee. The counterfeit product was then sold to dairies and shops for Rs 3,500–4,000 per tin, while production costs were about Rs 1,300–1,400 per tin.
During the raids, Safiq was caught operating a unit in Karawal Nagar with 520 kg of adulterated ghee. In Shiv Vihar, Malik, his son and two others were arrested with 440 kg of the spurious product, while Zamaluddin was apprehended in Mustafabad with 665 kg.
A case has been registered under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Food Safety and Standards Act. Police said some of the accused are habitual offenders previously booked for similar crimes. Investigations are underway to trace the supply chain and other individuals involved.
