The Badabazar police have busted two illegal spice manufacturing units in Odisha’s Brahmapur city, seizing roughly 3,000 kg of adulterated turmeric and chilli powder.
Authorities also confiscated four heavy-duty milling machines used to process the spurious goods.
The coordinated surprise raids were conducted late on Sunday night following actionable intelligence, striking two separate locations: the seventh lane in Laxmi Nrusingha Nagar and another facility in Prahallad Nagar.
Dangerous Concoctions Sold Locally
According to preliminary police findings, the operators ran an unhindered racket by blending hazardous chemical colouring agents and cheap rice bran powder into raw ingredients to mimic authentic turmeric and chilli powder. Once processed and packed, these counterfeit kitchen staples were dumped into local markets in Brahmapur and adjoining areas at heavily discounted prices, undercutting legitimate businesses and putting unsuspecting consumers at grave risk.
Furthermore, investigations revealed that the manufacturing operations were entirely clandestine. Neither of the targeted units possessed valid GST registrations, and the finished product packets lacked proper branding, standard labelling, or regulatory compliance markers.
Ongoing Crackdown and Arrests
Law enforcement officers successfully detained two individuals—one from each raided location—who are currently being interrogated to unearth the broader manufacturing and distribution network.
Authorities have gathered samples from the seized inventory to dispatch to state food testing laboratories. Police stated that further legal actions, including stringent charges under consumer safety and penal laws, will expand as forensic reports come in. The local administration has urged citizens to remain vigilant regarding unbranded or suspiciously low-priced food items in the market.
