PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Food Safety and Halal Food Authority (KPFS&HFA) has uncovered a major network involved in the distribution of counterfeit and substandard beverages during operations carried out across the province.
According to a spokesperson for the food authority, acting on a tip-off, the food safety team in Kohat set up a late-night checkpoint on the Indus Highway and intercepted a vehicle heading towards North Waziristan. During the search, the officials recovered approximately 11,700 liters of counterfeit and substandard beverages, which were confiscated on the spot, while the driver was taken into custody.
Further investigation and tracing of the supply chain led a joint team comprising officials from Kohat, Peshawar and Nowshera to a warehouse located in Banda Nabi area of Pabbi Tehsil, Nowshera. During the raid, the team recovered around 60,000 liters of branded counterfeit and substandard beverages, which were seized. The warehouse was sealed and legal proceedings against the owners have been initiated under the Food Safety Act.
In a separate operation in Peshawar, the food authority, in collaboration with the district administration, raided a chicken shop early in the morning and recovered approximately 250 kilograms of spoiled and foul-smelling chicken parts, which were immediately destroyed.
