Fake protein supplements factory unearthed in UP

Meerut (Uttar Pradesh): The Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF) has busted a fake foreign protein supplement supply chain in Meerut.

During a raid on a factory, the STF found hundreds of foreign labelled bags, bottles, boxes, holograms and a huge quantity of supplements.

Supplements laden with heavy steroid doses were filled in these bags and boxes to be supplied to Haryana, Delhi, Punjab and parts of Uttar Pradesh.

According to Brijesh Singh, the Circle Officer (CO) STF, Meerut, "We have arrested one Sartaj Alvi who had been running this establishment for five years. Apart from stickers and holograms, we also seized 15 quintals of the supplement, costing around Rs 20 lakh."

The accused has revealed that there is another godown in Delhi's Bawana Industrial area. He bought these bottles and containers from Delhi-based Roshan Kumar while supplements were procured from one Javed Ahmad of Khairnagar in Meerut at Rs 100 per kg. Once packed in these boxes and bottles, they were sold for Rs 1,400 to 1,800.

Shahvez Ahmad, a resident of Shahpir Gate in Meerut, supplied foreign companies' stickers, labels and bags.

An FIR has been filed in the Brahmapuri police station on Saturday against Alvi under IPC sections 419 (cheating by personation), 420 (cheating), 467 (forgery), 468 (forgery for the purpose of cheating), 471 (fraud) and relevant sections of the Copyright Act.

Archana Dheeran, designated officer, Food Security and Drug Administration, said, "We have seized the adulterated supplement and sent it to the lab for testing and the report is awaited. We keep conducting raids every now and then whenever we get the information."