BANGALORE: Police on Sunday confiscated some 10,640 litres of adulterated milk, seized four trucks and arrested seven persons in a predawn swoop in Bangalore.
The milk consignment was meant for hotels and restaurants in Kalasipalya, City Market and surrounding areas . The milk was being shipped into the city from Tamil Nadu’s Erode in 266 cans. Quoting the accused, a top police officer said harmful ingredients were used to adulterate milk, whose value was put at Rs 25 lakh. The ingredients have been sent for lab-testing .
That cuppa of ‘chai’ or ‘kaapi’ that you relish in some eateries could come with a lot of risk. Busting a racket that allegedly supplied adulterated milk to hotels and restaurants in Kalasipalya, City Market and surrounding areas, the West division of city police seized 10,640 litres of adulterated milk being ferried in 266 cans and four trucks.
Seven men were arrested early on Sunday. The consignment came from Erode in Tamil Nadu and was earmarked for hotels and restaurants in Kalasipalya and its neighbourhood , police said, quoting the accused. Cops said those with the consignment of milk failed to produce trade licence and valid invoices . They also claimed that the accused confessed to using harmful ingredients to adulterate milk and increase their profits. The seized milk was worth Rs 25 lakh in the market, police added.
Deputy commissioner of police (west) SN Sidramappa was part of the raid that took place at 4.30am. The DCP said when he was on night patrol, he received a call that cans of milk were being unloaded near Topaiah junction on Siddaiah Road. “I rushed to the spot with other officers and found there were four lorries from which they were unloading the milk cans. Four to five men had also come to pick up the stocks,” Sidramappa said. Citing Karnataka Milk Federation officials, police said caustic soda and sugar had been used to adulterate the milk. “Samples have been sent for further testing to know the kind of adulteration ,” he said. While one lorry bore a Karnataka registration number , the others were of Tamil Nadu. Six of the arrested persons are from Tamil Nadu, while the other is from Karnataka , police said.
Details about the rates for which the adulterated milk was sold, where it was procured from and what was used to adulterate it will be available only after further investigation , they added.