New Delhi [India], July 3 (ANI): Delhi Police has busted a major racket allegedly involved in manipulating expiry dates and repackaging expired international branded food products for sale in domestic and international markets, recovering goods worth more than Rs 20 lakh.

According to Delhi Police, the operation was carried out by a team from Police Station Okhla Industrial Area under the supervision of ACP Anil Sharma. The raid was conducted jointly with the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM), Badarpur, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), and NGO Mission Mukti at the premises of M/s Westened Corporation Pvt. Ltd. in Okhla Phase-II.

Police said the inspection was initially launched following specific intelligence regarding the alleged employment of child labour at the premises. However, while no minors were found during the search, officials uncovered an organised operation allegedly involved in altering the manufacturing and expiry dates of food products.

According to Delhi Police, the accused procured near-expiry and expired food products of international brands at heavily discounted prices. Using chemical thinners, they allegedly erased the original manufacturing and expiry dates before printing counterfeit dates with specialised printing machines installed at the premises.

Officials said the accused also altered nutritional information labels, affixed fake batch numbers, barcodes and Maximum Retail Price (MRP) stickers, and repackaged the products to make them appear genuine before supplying them to markets and e-commerce platforms across India and overseas.

Delhi Police said the recovered stock included popular consumer products such as Thums Up, Fanta, Bournvita, Horlicks, ghee, Maggi noodles, two-litre soft drink bottles, beverage cans and Paper Boat juices.

Police identified the company owner as Darshan Singh Sachdeva. Besides him, six others have been arrested in connection with the case. The arrested accused have been identified as manager Nitesh Bhardwaj, accountant Narender Kumar, operator Kapil, warehouse keeper Lucky Ojha, and supervisors Prem Yadav and Pawan Kumar Yadav.

According to police, the recovery of printing, sealing and date-altering machinery indicates that the premises functioned as a full-fledged illegal adulteration and repackaging unit.

An FIR has been registered at Police Station Okhla Industrial Area under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

Delhi Police said further investigation is underway and reiterated its commitment to safeguarding public health and consumer safety by taking strict action against those involved in the illegal trade of adulterated and expired food products. (ANI)