SOG busts fake paneer plant, seizes 1,400 kg

Surat: Surat's Special Operations Group (SOG) police busted a duplicate paneer production unit in the Pandesara industrial area on Tuesday, seizing 1,400 kg of non-branded analogue paneer meant for distribution on Dhuleti. Valuables worth Rs 28.44 lakh were also recovered, and samples have been sent for testing with the help of Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) food safety officers.DCP Rajdeep Nakum said, "We received a tip-off about fake paneer being produced at Bhidbhanjan Society, Unit 278. Upon raiding the unit, we found 1,400 kg of loose, non-branded analogue paneer worth Rs 3.08 lakh. The unit, run by Mahesh Sharma, was supplying dairies and eateries across the city for Dhuleti."Police investigations revealed that Sharma dealt mainly with Dharmaraj, Radhekrishna, Om Sai, and Rajkmal dairies. The accused reportedly manufactured 400 kg of paneer daily, selling it at Rs 220 per kg. To produce the paneer, he allegedly used palmolein oil, milk powder, and acid. "We will initiate legal action once the sample test results are received," said Nakum.The plant was operating in an area primarily occupied by textile units. During the raid, police seized a pasteurising machine, harmoniser, weighing scale, 1,000 plastic bags, 3,000 stickers, 10 litres of acid, 28 empty palmolein oil tins, and 16 filled tins of 15 kg each, with total seizure valued at Rs 28.44 lakh.Police sources added that the illicit operation has been ongoing for the past two years, with thousands of kilograms of analogue paneer reportedly sold in the market.