MAPUSA
In a serious breach of protocol, a stock of bananas seized by the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) on suspicion of chemical ripening was illegally removed from a sealed godown in the Mapusa sub-yard early Tuesday morning.
FDA officials had sealed the rented godown on Monday after seizing approximately 1.5 tonnes of bananas during a surprise inspection. The stock was being held pending laboratory test results to confirm the suspected use of prohibited ripening agents.
However, on Tuesday morning, officials were shocked to discover that the official seal had been broken. CCTV footage revealed that the stock owner entered the premises, loaded the entire consignment onto a tempo, and fled the scene.
According to FDA sources, the illegally transported bananas were traced to a shop owned by the brother of the accused at the Panaji bus stand. The FDA launched an immediate operation, tracked the consignment, and destroyed the recovered stock.
The godown owner has since been detained and is set to be handed over to the police for further investigation.
FDA officials confirmed that the act of breaking the seal and moving seized goods constitutes a serious offence, and appropriate legal action will follow.
Further inquiries are ongoing, even as the FDA awaits conclusive test results on the chemical composition of the seized bananas.
