Delhi Police’s Crime Branch has busted a major racket involved in manufacturing and supplying counterfeit ENO and fake Nescafé coffee in the national capital, officials said.
Acting on inputs, police conducted a raid in the Madhu Vihar area and uncovered two illegal units where fake ENO powder and fake Nescafé coffee were being produced and distributed in the market. During the operation, goods worth around Rs 20 lakh were seized.
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The police team recovered three packing machines, nearly one lakh ready ENO sachets, around 50,000 counterfeit coffee sachets, about 500 kg of coffee powder, drums filled with acid, along with packaging rolls, stickers, cartons and other materials used in the operation. Officials said the units were involved in large-scale production and supply of these counterfeit products, posing a serious risk to public health.
Substandard Materials Used
The accused were allegedly using substandard and potentially harmful materials to manufacture products that closely resembled branded items, making it difficult for consumers to differentiate between genuine and fake goods.
This crackdown comes just days after a shocking case of food adulteration was reported from Hapur in Uttar Pradesh, highlighting growing concerns over food safety. In that case, authorities busted an illegal unit producing toxic tomato sauce using harmful chemicals instead of real ingredients. The Food Safety Department found that the sauce was being made using acids, rotten materials and banned synthetic colours, making it unsafe for consumption.
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Officials had seized large quantities of the adulterated sauce, which was reportedly being supplied to local eateries and street vendors. The entire stock was destroyed, and strict legal action was initiated against those involved.
Authorities say such back-to-back incidents underline the urgent need for stricter monitoring and enforcement to curb the menace of counterfeit and adulterated food products, which pose a significant threat to consumer health.