NEW DELHI: The Delhi Police Crime Branch has busted three illegal units producing adulterated desi ghee in North-East Delhi, seizing 1,625 kg of spurious product and arresting six men. The crackdown followed a tip-off about large-scale food adulteration ahead of Dussehra and Diwali, when demand for dairy products rises sharply. Intelligence inputs indicated rampant use of unsafe substances to manufacture fake ghee supplied to local markets.
Raids were carried out in Shiv Vihar, Karawal Nagar and Old Mustafabad under the supervision of Inspector Veer Singh. Each site was found to be operating as a clandestine factory, equipped with gas cylinders, stoves, chemical agents and packaging machines.
At Shiv Vihar, police arrested Safiq (30) and recovered 520 kg of duplicate ghee. A second raid in the same area led to the seizure of 440 kg and the arrest of four men: habitual offender Yusuf Malik (50), his son Mehboob (22), and associates Shakir and Sharukh from Ghaziabad. In Old Mustafabad, 665 kg of adulterated ghee was recovered and Zamaluddin (40) was arrested. Investigators said the accused operated a well-organised racket. They allegedly bought vanaspati ghee and cheap refined oil in bulk, heating and blending them to mimic the texture of pure ghee. Synthetic flavours, colouring agents and chemical enhancers were added to replicate aroma before the product was packed in tins resembling branded items.
The fake ghee cost about Rs 1,300–1,400 per tin to produce but was sold to dairies and retailers at Rs 3,500–4,000. Most of the accused were school dropouts or unemployed men lured by quick profits, with some identified as repeat offenders.
Police said the seizure prevented a major public health hazard. A case has been registered under the BNS and the Food Safety and Standards Act, and investigations are ongoing to trace buyers and financiers linked to the syndicate.