Surat: A joint operation by the Zone-4 Local Crime Branch (LCB) and Pandesara police led to a major bust at Angel Monofilament, a factory in Pandesara GIDC, for producing banned Chinese manja (kite string). The factory was manufacturing the hazardous thread on a large scale. During the raid, police seized materials worth ₹50 lakh, including 5,700 reels of thread—mainly under the ‘Mono Kite’ brand—valued at ₹10 lakh, which were ready for shipment.

Authorities have now alerted the forest department, GST officials, the factory inspector, and forensic science experts to probe possible legal and environmental violations.

Zone-4 DCP Vijay Singh Gurjar stated that police acted on a tip-off and found that Angel Monofilament was covertly making Chinese manja under the guise of yarn production. The police found 49 workers involved and seized a total of 277 boxes of thread ready for dispatch, along with 182 boxes of other banned threads. Raw materials found suggest total inventory worth over ₹50 lakh.

When questioned, production manager Pramod Mandal disclosed that Naresh Patel owns the unit, who has switched off his phone since the bust. It is learned that the factory operates throughout the year except during Uttarayan, to avoid detection when surveillance intensifies.

Officials also found fake invoices and other irregularities, prompting notifications to relevant departments. The thread was reportedly distributed to states like Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Delhi. Computers and documents were seized, and statements from all 49 workers were recorded. The case has been transferred to Althan police inspector D.D. Chauhan for further investigation. DeshGujarat