Brahmapur: Odisha Police Monday arrested a trader for allegedly operating a spice-processing unit producing adulterated turmeric, chilli powder and other products, officials said.
Huge quantities of suspected adulterated spices and machinery were seized from the unit at Laxmi Nursing Sahi within Bada Bazar police station limits here, they said.
The accused, identified as E Koteswar Patra (40), a resident of Madan Mohan Nagar, was allegedly the mastermind behind the production of adulterated spices.
Patra is a repeat offender, with multiple cases registered against him at Bada Bazar police station for alleged cheating, copyright violations, trademark breaches and food safety offences, they said.
Acting on a tip-off, a special police team led by Ashish Kumar Swain, inspector-in-charge of Bada Bazar police station, raided the unit on Saturday evening.
The team found large quantities of loose turmeric powder dumped on the floor alongside finished products packed in plastic bags.
The accused and his associates allegedly used factory milling machines to process the substances into 30-kg and 50-kg commercial bags, which were then repackaged into smaller quantities to deceive consumers in Berhampur and neighbouring areas.
Police seized around 1,500 kg of loose turmeric powder, more than 1,000 kg of packaged chilli and turmeric powder, 1,728 kg of ginger and garlic pastes, and 20 packets of prohibited and adulterated chemical food colours.
Police have registered a case against three other associates of Patra under different sections of the BNS, Food Safety and Standards Act and Prevention of Food Adulteration Act.
Swain said samples of the seized items will be sent to the Food Testing Laboratory for detailed chemical examination.