Hazardous milk supply network busted in Haripur

WEB DESK: A major operation in Haripur’s Hattar Industrial Zone has led to the discovery of a countrywide network producing and supplying fake and hazardous milk, officials said on Friday. The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Food Safety and Halal Food Authority raided a factory late at night, sealed the premises and arrested three suspects allegedly involved in manufacturing and distributing adulterated milk across Punjab and other provinces.

According to officials, the group had been producing hundreds of thousands of litres of artificial milk using harmful chemicals and raw materials. The operation was conducted under the direct supervision of Director General (DG) Food Authority Wasif Saeed, with Director Operations Yousaf and Director Technical Dr Abdul Sattar Shah leading a specialised food safety team.

DG Saeed told reporters that the network, originally based in Punjab’s Bahawalnagar district, had relocated to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa after intensified action by the Punjab Food Authority. Intelligence-based information allowed KP’s Food Authority to track down the gang and catch them “red-handed” inside the factory.

During the raid, large quantities of chemicals, raw ingredients and heavy machinery used for manufacturing synthetic milk were seized. Tankers filled with contaminated milk, intended for markets in Islamabad, Rawalpindi and other major cities, were confiscated and later destroyed. Officials estimate the group was producing nearly 100,000 litres of fake milk daily.

The factory was found to be operating illegally. Authorities arrested the manager along with two accomplices, confiscated all equipment and lodged an FIR to initiate legal proceedings.

DG Saeed also confirmed that the district-level food safety team in Haripur had been suspended for negligence. He vowed strict punishment for what he termed “food terrorists,” saying such operations would continue under the directives of Chief Minister Sohaib Khan Afridi and Chief Secretary Shahab Ali Shah.