Kochi: A team of the city shadow police has seized 480 kg of mangoes kept for ripening with the aid of calcium carbide, a dangerous chemical, from the warehouse of PBA Sons Fruits in Mattanchery on Saturday.
The police also recovered 20 kg of oranges kept for ripening using calcium carbide. The police team also recovered 7.5 kg of calcium carbide kept in the warehouse, said police officials.
The police has taken into custody Shakeer, 34 son of Puthenpurakkal Abu and KS Rafeeq son of Kaithavalppil Veetil KM Hamza in this connection. The tainted mango and orange will be destroyed after preserving the quantity for forensic and food safety testing, police added.
The raids were conducted on the direction of city police commissioner KG James amidst reports that artificially ripened fruits are widely sold in markets in the district. Police said that they have received information about other warehouses using similar practices in the district and raids will be conducted in them also.
Police said that a series of raids conducted against traders indulging in such practices in the Maradu region one year back have brought down the use of chemicals for preservation and ripening of fruits. Calcium carbide used for ripening fruits poses a major health hazard as it contains carcinogenic properties.
