Surat: The city police and the Surat Municipal Corporation’s Food Department have intensified their crackdown on food adulteration. In a joint operation, the Surat Special Operations Group (SOG) raided ‘A-One Dairy Foods’ in the Punagam area and seized 329 kg of suspected paneer before it could be distributed in the market.

In addition to the paneer stock, officials confiscated packaging materials and a sealing machine. The total value of the seized items is estimated at ₹95,800. According to investigators, the accused procured the paneer at ₹200 per kg and sold it at ₹220 per kg. Authorities estimate that over the past two-and-a-half years, thousands of consumers may have unknowingly consumed the suspected product.

Acting on a tip-off, the SOG team, accompanied by Surat Municipal Corporation Food Safety Officer D.B. Makwana, conducted a search at Plot No. 97, Marutinagar Society, Division-2, Punagam, where A-One Dairy Foods was operating.

The dairy owner, Satyaveer Tarasingh Dhakre (28), a native of Dholpur, Rajasthan, currently residing in Godadara, was present during the raid. During questioning, he reportedly admitted to sourcing the suspected paneer from Kadodara at ₹200 per kg, repackaging it in plastic bags at his shop, and selling it at ₹220 per kg in retail as well as in bulk to other dairies.

With the prevailing market price of pure paneer in Surat hovering around ₹400 per kg, officials said the unusually low selling price raised serious concerns about the product’s quality and authenticity.

Preliminary investigations indicate that the alleged production and sale of fake paneer had been ongoing for the past two-and-a-half years, with nearly 100 kg being sold daily.

The seized stock was sealed on the spot by the Food Safety Officer, and samples have been sent to a laboratory for analysis to determine whether the paneer is substandard or contains harmful substances. Officials said strict legal action will follow if the product is found to be fake or unsafe. DeshGujarat