Key Update

Surat Rural Police busted a fake ghee manufacturing racket operating from a warehouse in Kamrej taluka on Wednesday. During the raid, the Local Crime Branch (LCB) seized raw materials and machinery worth nearly ₹3 lakh, highlighting growing food safety concerns in South Gujarat.

Police Raid Warehouse in Navagam

Acting on information about the illegal operation, an LCB team raided Araydhya Marketing and Dairy Products in Navagam, where the accused allegedly manufactured and packaged counterfeit ghee. Police seized 25 containers of 15 kg each filled with vegetable oil, seven containers containing palm oil, three containers of suspected fake ghee, and machinery used in the manufacturing process. Investigators said the accused mixed palm oil and vegetable oil before packaging and selling the product as pure cow ghee.

Police Arrest Accused

Police arrested Kiran Modi (40), a resident of Sumul Dairy Road, from the premises. During questioning, Modi allegedly told investigators that he obtained a licence from the Food and Drugs Department in 2021 to manufacture ghee and had been operating the warehouse for the past three years.

FDCA Collects Samples for Laboratory Testing

A team from the Food and Drugs Control Administration (FDCA) visited the site and collected samples of the seized materials for laboratory testing. Police said authorities would take further legal action after receiving the test results. “The accused marketed the adulterated product as genuine cow ghee to mislead consumers. We have sent samples to the Forensic Science Laboratory for testing, and the reports will reveal the actual contents,” said N.G. Panchani, Police Inspector, LCB. Surat.

Source: The Times of India