Man falls ill after consuming protein powder he got online; his complaint leads cops to fake factory
The DCP said a large stash of “protein boxes, capsule boxes, wrappers, powder sacks, packing machines, printing machines and seals worth Rs 50 lakh” was also recovered from the spot.
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Protein supplements are mainly consumed by athletes, bodybuilders, and even youngsters going to gyms to enhance their fitness levels. (Representational Photo)Noida resident Atim Singh ordered protein supplements of a popular brand from an online firm. But to his horror, when he consumed them, he fell terribly ill — he faced stomach and liver problems as well as breakouts on his face, said police.
Suspicious about the product, Singh filed a complaint with the Noida Police on December 9. Police then lodged an FIR under BNS Section 318 (4) cheating and relevant sections of the IT Act.
During investigation, police traced the product to a factory in Greater Noida’s Sector 86 and a team, along with officials from the Food Safety and Drug Administration Department, raided the premises on Tuesday.
Inside, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Greater Noida) Shakti Mohan Avasthi said, officials found three men filling up empty boxes in the basement. “A large number of boxes filled with fake protein powder, labelled ‘The Athlete’s Complete Nutrition’, were found in the basement. When we enquired if they had a license, the men had no answer. We then alerted the Food Safety Team, following which they were arrested,” said the DCP.
Protein supplements are mainly consumed by athletes, bodybuilders, and even youngsters going to gyms to enhance their fitness levels.
The DCP said a large stash of “protein boxes, capsule boxes, wrappers, powder sacks, packing machines, printing machines and seals worth Rs 50 lakh” was also recovered from the spot.
The men — Ghaziabad residents Sahil Yadav (27), Harsh Aggarwal (28), and Amit Choubey (30) — were allegedly running the fake food supplement factory, said police. The trio operated through online platforms and sold their fake supplements at a price that was four to five times higher than the market rate.
“Singh had ordered these (fake) gym supplements and after consuming them, his health deteriorated and he suffered some stomach and liver problems with sudden breakouts on his face,” said the DCP.
During questioning, police said Sahil revealed that he worked at Advance NutraTech, a food supplement manufacturing company in Haryana, in 2017-2018. “After he learned the basics of the job, he formed his own firm on December 1 and made Harsh and Amit his partners. The three would buy raw material to make the fake food supplements from different places at a cheaper rate,” said Awasthi.
“We are still probing the case to ascertain if others are part of the racket,” he added.
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