KATHMANDU: The Metropolitan Police Crime Division, New Baneshwor and the Department of Commerce, Supplies and Consumer Protection have sealed the warehouse belonging to Eion International on charges of relabeling expired food products that were imported by Vishal Group. Apparently, Eion International is a subsidiary of Vishal Group.
During a raid launched jointly by the police division and the commerce department on the warehouse of Eion International nine workers including RoshanBatra, who is the head of Eoin International, were arrested.
The accused were apprehended as they were found relabeling goods that had already been expired with new tags that contained new manufacturing and expiry dates. The department said that the employees of the company were relabeling expired food products including Snickers, Oreo biscuits and Pringles chips, among others.
According to the Food Act, expired goods need to be destroyed by the importer after such goods have been returned from the market. However, it has been revealed that Eion International had developed a practice of sending back the expired products to the market with new labels and at a cheaper rate than the usual price, the department informed.
The department mentioned that suspicion arose after the products were located in the market with carelessly pasted labels and an investigation was launched thereafter.
Those who have been arrested have been kept at the Metropolitan Police Division, Durbar Marg.
Vishal Group has been involved in importing Snickers, Oriobiscuits, Horlicks, other brands of chocolates, Bunty, Milky and Pringles, among other food items in the country and its sister company, United Distributor, is responsible for the distribution of those products in the Nepali market.
The department informed that it will soon expand its investigation to Vishal Group too as preliminary investigation has revealed that Eion International is the local distributor of various brands of food products of United Distributor under Vishal Group.
Good worth more than Rs 10 million were found in the warehouse that has been sealed at the moment.