Two fruit sellers caught

Imphal, June 14 2017: 

A combined team of Food Safety Enforcement Wing, Imphal West and City police, today, caught two fruit sellers along with two bottles of an unknown chemicals used to ripen bananas.

Speaking to media persons at his Lamphelpat office, Health Director Dr Karam Lokendro said that a combined team of Food Safety Enforcement Wing, Imphal West and City police carried out inspection drives at various fruit stores and godowns in Imphal area and arrested two fruit sellers identified as Shaktinath Prasad s/ o Jagadis of Chhathu Saha Ward no 15, East Champaran district, Bihar presently staying at Majorkhul and Dost Mohammad Ansari s/o Samsuddin Ansari of Fulwari Tajpur, Bihar, presently staying at Nagamapal Singjubung Leirak.

The security team also seized two 400ml bottles filled with an unknown chemical.

The bottles had labels ‘Made in China’ and ‘Manufactured by Shandong United Pesticide Industry Co Ltd’ as well.

Expressing suspicion that the chemicals might contain carbide, Lokendro said that the contents of the said bottles cannot be confirmed due to the printed language but samples would be sent to laboratories for testing.

The security team also seized some (zehaji) bananas which had been dunk in a diluted solution of the chemical for ripening.

He also stated that with the help of the chemical, bananas which normally take around a week to ripen, can be ripened in only three days and further notified all fruit sellers to refrain from resorting to such illegal activities for profit and threatened to take up necessary legal actions against anyone caught resorting to such practices.

Lokendro urged the people to contact the Food Safety Enforcement Wing or the Directorate if they come across such illegal activities.

On the other hand, he expressed disappointment at the claims made by one United Meitei Pangal Association against the Department and clarified that the organisation had requested the Department to sanction funds for a medical camp but the Department refused as it only provides medical supplies and manpower for such camps.