
Simultaneous raids across five Maharashtra districts dismantle a highly organized chemical-based dairy counterfeiting network.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of Maharashtra has executed a massive coordinated crackdown to dismantle a highly organized synthetic milk counterfeiting network operating across five major districts. Spanning an intensive two-day operation on July 4 and 5, a specialized team comprising 30 food safety officers and 40 police personnel conducted simultaneous raids in Thane, Ahilyanagar, Solapur, Jalna, and Pune. The enforcement action resulted in the immediate arrest of 13 individuals and the filing of formal criminal cases against 26 accused operators involved in the illicit manufacture and distribution of toxic counterfeit milk.
During the sweeping law enforcement operation, authorities seized a massive stockpile of chemical adulterants and raw manufacturing supplies valued at ₹1.48 crores. The confiscated inventory included industrial quantities of shampoo, chemical detergents, palm oil, and specialized emulsifiers, all of which were allegedly utilized by the racketeers to synthesize fake milk from scratch. Investigating officials traced the core sourcing point for these hazardous chemical components directly to the town of Manchar in the Pune district, prompting the collection of over 49 suspect milk samples for comprehensive scientific laboratory testing.
Operational mapping by food safety authorities exposed a highly calculated business structure designed to maximize illicit profit margins at the extreme expense of public health. The counterfeiters systematically manufactured the synthetic chemical cocktail and blended it directly into genuine raw milk volumes before funneling the adulterated supply into the consumer marketplace at premium rates. Investigators revealed that the racket deliberately compromised the regional dairy value chain, discovering direct operational involvement from local farmers, specialized packaging centers, and village chilling networks to facilitate the deception.
The FDA has named Sushant Hinge of Pune as the primary kingpin mastermind orchestrating the multi-district network, with Sandeep Lodha acting directly as his strategic operational advisor. In immediate retaliation to the structural fraud, regulatory authorities canceled the official food operating licenses of five implicated commercial entities and slapped an additional five processing firms with absolute stop-work notices. FDA Commissioner Tukaram Munde forcefully condemned the syndicate, labeling milk adulteration an anti-social crime that targets vulnerable demographics such as children, pregnant women, and the sick, while vowing that the state will show zero sympathy toward the perpetrators.
The complex enforcement action initially ignited following a confidential tip-off, which catalyzed an extensive preliminary investigation involving meticulous supply chain mapping, tactical joint raids, and rigorous scientific evidence gathering. Having successfully crippled the primary operational infrastructure within the state, criminal investigators and food safety regulators are now actively expanding the scope of their inquiry. The FDA is currently conducting cross-border tracing to determine if the fraudulent synthetic network extended its supply lines or distribution channels beyond the state lines of Maharashtra into adjacent regional markets.
Source: Hindustan Times
You can now read the most important #news on #eDairyNews #Whatsapp channels!!!
eDairy News ÍNDIA: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaPidCcGpLHImBQk6x1F






