Hyderabad: Mohammed Osman and Mohammed Jahangir Pasha were apprehended by the Crime Team of the Central Crime Station (CCS) and H-FAST Hyderabad for supplying beef in place of mutton to several hotels in the city, police said on June 30.
According to Hyderabad Police, the suspects were intercepted on July 1 following credible information. During the operation, officials seized around 50 kg of meat that was mixed with beef.
After the apprehension, the CCS team handed over the two suspects to the Habeeb Nagar Police Station for further legal action. A case has been registered, and an investigation is underway to ascertain the extent of the alleged supply network and identify all establishments involved. Hyderabad Police said the action was taken based on specific intelligence inputs, and further investigation into the case is in progress.
Earlier, on June 19, in a major crackdown on food adulteration, the Hyderabad Police’s H-FAST (Hyderabad Food Adulteration Surveillance Team), along with a Food Safety Officer, conducted a surprise raid on an illegal fast food godown operating under the limits of Hussainialam Police Station in the Charminar area and seized 110 kg of adulterated stock.
Acting on credible inputs, the team inspected the premises of Al Akbar Fast Food and Godown located at New Laad Bazar in Panch Mohalla. Officials found that food items were being prepared and stored in highly unhygienic and unsafe conditions, posing a serious risk to public health.
According to officials, the unit was operating without a mandatory licence from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and was using prohibited artificial food colours, including MSK Lion Green and Raspberry Red. The inspection also revealed the reuse of stale cooking oil, the absence of water quality certification, a lack of pest control measures, and grossly unhygienic conditions at the site.
During the raid, authorities seized around 110 kg of prepared fried chicken, six tins of loose cooking oil (15 litres each), and multiple packets of artificial chemical food colours. Two individuals, stated to be responsible for running the illegal operations, were apprehended.
(With inputs from ANI)
