KARACHI, Aug 16: Officials of the city government’s food department along with a team of the of the National Accountability Bureau’s special operation wing conducted a raid on a beverage company in Cattle Colony, Landhi, on Thursday and arrested two persons, Mohammad Farooq and Mohammad Afzal, said to be operators of the processing unit allegedly manufacturing imitation of many original brands.

A NAB spokesman told Dawn that the imitation beverages and chemicals were confiscated and the processing machines were seized in the raid. An FIR (No.157/07) was lodged against the accused at the Sukhen police station in Bin Qasim Town. The accused, who were booked under Sections 468, 483, 272 and 273 PPC, told police that the firm had several “branches” set up in the city.

It was stated that the raid followed a tip off that imitation of nearly all brands of beverages was being marketed for long in different parts of the city.

The spokesman quoted the accused as claiming that they had been paying gratification of a specified amount on a monthly basis to the local police and certain food officials for running the illegal business.

He stated that the beverages were being prepared at a place hygienically. Contaminated water and substandard chemicals and other ingredients were found to be used in manufacturing the products, he added. He said that the workers employed by the firm were clad in dirty clothes and appeared incompetent for the job they were handling.

The factory premises was located next to a garbage dump but the officials concerned had never tried to take any action in this regard, the spokesman said before some NAB officials provided them a tip off.