Hyderabad: Police busted a fake coconut powder unit in Hyderabad and arrested one person, seizing adulterated goods worth Rs 21 lakh.
The Commissioner’s Task Force, along with Khairatabad Task Force and Goshamahal Police, conducted the raid in Begum Bazar on Wednesday.
Officials identified the accused as Nakoul Marotiyaa, 31. He allegedly operated the unit under the name “Balaji Purushotham Coconut Business Shop.”
Fake coconut powder unit operated without licenses
Police said the accused sourced low-quality coconut powder from Karnataka. He then repackaged it under branded labels to mislead consumers.
Officials seized 8,300 kg of adulterated coconut powder during the operation. In addition, they confiscated three packing machines, three weighing machines and 400 packing covers.
The total value of the seized material was estimated at Rs 21 lakh. Therefore, authorities treated the case as a major food adulteration offence.
Police said the unit operated without valid licenses or food safety certification. Moreover, the products lacked proper labeling such as batch numbers and expiry dates.
Fake coconut powder unit posed health risks
Officials said the illegal activity posed serious health risks to the public. As a result, they registered a case under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the FSSAI Act.
Further investigation into the operation is currently underway. Police are also examining the supply chain linked to the accused.
The raid was carried out under the supervision of Additional DCP Ande Srinivasa Rao of the Commissioner’s Task Force, Hyderabad.
Inspectors R. Venkatesh, P. Raghavendra and B. Shravan Kumar, along with other officers and staff, participated in the operation.
The crackdown formed part of ongoing efforts to curb food adulteration in the city. It also highlighted increased enforcement against illegal manufacturing units.