Police bust milk smuggling gang

Kalaburagi: The Kalburgi police busted a milk packet smuggling gang on Sunday. It is said that the accused were illegally transporting milk powder which were to be supplied to government school children.

The state government is providing milk packets under the Kshira Bhagya project to ensure that no one suffers from malnutrition. Hundreds of crores of rupees have also been spent for the project annually. But a gang in Kalburgi district indulged in buying milk packets at half price from school kitchen workers and repacking it to sell for higher prices in different private company names.

During routine check-up , police stopped a goods autorickshaw at Uppalav cross in Kalaburgi city. Upon checking they found 6 quintals of KMF Nandini milk power packets which being transported to Bidar district. During investigation it was found that accused Anil bought the milk packets from government schools and was attempting to sell it to a trader in Bidar.

Police said that they arrested Anil, the buyer Moinuddin and goods auto driver Imranuddin. It is said that the state government providing Rs 275 per kilogram of milk power buying from Karnataka milk federation (KMF). But the private company milk packets is being sold for more than Rs 500. The accused was buying one kilo milk packet for Rs 100-125 from government school corrupt kitchen staff and teachers selling it for higher prices. It is said that the accused was repacking milk powder with other company brands and selling it for more than Rs 500 in Andhra Pradesh. Police registered a case and investigating.