Fake milk racket busted in Mulbagal, one arrested

In a major crackdown on food adulteration, police led by DySP D.C. Nandakumar raided a fake milk production unit in Mulbagal taluk on Saturday night and arrested one person for allegedly supplying adulterated milk to a prominent dairy in Andhra Pradesh.

The accused, Naresh Reddy from Savatthur village, was reportedly manufacturing synthetic milk by mixing milk powder with water and supplying it to Tirumala Dairy. Acting on a tip-off, officials seized large quantities of milk powder, mixing equipment, four 40-litre milk cans, and a transport vehicle used in the operation.

According to the Food Department, Reddy had been producing 150–160 litres of synthetic milk daily for the past six months, operating out of a shed near his home. Authorities confiscated four 25-kg bags of adulterated milk powder during the raid.

District Food Safety Officer Pratheesh cautioned that the health consequences of consuming such fake milk could be severe and promised a full investigation. DySP Nandakumar confirmed that the suspect and all related equipment had been taken into custody. Samples of the adulterated milk have been sent to the laboratory for testing, and a formal case will be filed upon receiving the results.

Officials including Senior Health Inspector Manjunath, CHO Mahesh, and Govindaraju were part of the enforcement team. The bust has raised serious concerns over food safety and the need for stricter monitoring of dairy supply chains.