SPURIOUS MILK RACKET BUSTED IN TARN TARAN

TARN TARAN : Police have busted a spurious milk preparation and sale racket with the arrest of one person from Ghrum village of Patti. The gang used maltodextrin powder and refined oil as adulterants. Maltodextrin is an artificially produced white powder and causes a spike in blood sugar levels. Police said the accused doubled the quantity of pure milk using these adulterants and water.

Over 25-kg maltodextrin powder and 72-litre refined oil have also been seized during the raid conducted by the CIA wing-2, Tarn Taran police at the accused’s house. The man arrested is Judge Singh. Police have identified five more members of the racket as Judge’s two sons, Gurlal Singh and Gursahib Singh; his brother Bhajan Singh and his son Arshpreet Singh of Ghrum village; and one Ramesh Singh of Ludhiana.

The accused have confessed to have been selling the ‘adulterated milk’ for 25 years. Police say 10-quintal of adulterated milk was being supplied to Ludhiana daily. SI Sukhraj Singh said, “We had a tip-off that a mini-factory of making adulterated milk was running at their home. A raid was conducted on Saturday and Judge Singh was arrested.”

He said, “The accused were mixing 1-kg maltodextrin powder, 1-litre refined oil and 40-kg water in 40-kg milk to double the quantity. This adulterated milk could not be detected, even by churning at the dairies.”

He said preliminary investigation had found that the accused had made luxury houses, besides purchasing land in the mand area of Sutlej river.