Task Force busts adulterated ginger-garlic paste unit in Lalapet; four held
HYDERABAD: The Commissioner’s Task Force, Secunderabad Zone, along with Lallaguda police, raided a godown in Lalapet and arrested four persons allegedly involved in manufacturing adulterated and unhygienic ginger-garlic paste.
Police registered a case in Crime No. 84/2026 under Sections 318(4), 275, 223 read with 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) at Lallaguda police station.
Unhygienic paste unit operating from Lalapet godown
The raid was conducted at the Jhansi ginger and garlic paste godown located near Janapriya Apartments in Lalapet. Officials apprehended four accused allegedly engaged in producing adulterated ginger-garlic paste under unhygienic conditions.
The accused were identified as Neela Venkateswaralu, 56, owner of the godown and a resident of Lalapet; K. Vinod, 46, supervisor from Shanti Nagar in Lallaguda; T. Sathish, 23, worker from H North Lallaguda; and M. Shivani, 46, worker from BJR Nagar in Malkajgiri.
Nearly 1,915 kg ginger-garlic paste seized during raid
Officials seized about 1,915 kg of ginger-garlic paste along with raw materials and equipment from the premises.
The seized items included 18 plastic tubs of paste (45 kg each), 80 boxes of 5 kg packs, 300 boxes of 1 kg packs, 370 boxes of 500 g packs, and 1,320 boxes of 175 g packs.
Police also confiscated 30 kg of acetic acid, around 10 kg of xanthan gum, 80 kg of raw ginger and garlic, two packing machines, one grinder/mixing machine, a weighing machine, four date stamps and 86 branded labels.
Products allegedly packed with fake labels and sold to kirana stores
According to police, the accused allegedly mixed acetic acid with ginger and garlic paste and stored the mixture in plastic tubs for several days before packing it in containers.
The products were allegedly labelled with fake brand names and supplied to general kirana stores and customers in the city to earn illegal profits.
The operation was led by J. Raj Shekar, Inspector of Police, Task Force Secunderabad Zone; T. Ashok Kumar, Inspector of Police, Lallaguda police station; S. Raju, Sub-Inspector of Police, Task Force; and M. Rajeshwar Reddy, Sub-Inspector of Police, Lallaguda police station, along with their teams.
Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police, Task Force, Hyderabad City, Ande Srinivas Rao confirmed the arrests and seizure.
