‘Ukussa’ and CAA raid warehouse with expired rations worth over Rs. 500 mn

The Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) on Friday (04 August) raided a warehouse in Wattala, which led to the seizure of a large stock of rations and canned food deemed unfit for human consumption.

The raid took place at a warehouse in the Hendala area in Wattala, while the stock of food items, including rice and canned fish, is valued at an estimate of over Rs.  500 million.

This is believed to be the largest raid conducted by the CAA.

Ada Derana’s ‘Ukussa’ visited the warehouse in question with officers from the Emergency Raid Unit of the CAA, upon receiving information about an attempt to release stocks of food, including 80,000 tins of canned food including mushrooms and fish, deemed unfit for human consumption, into the market.

Upon inspection, the said tins were found inside the warehouse along with stocks of expired Basmati rice which had been imported, and were being prepared to be sold in the market after the respective labels had been changed.

Stocks of dhal, extra virgin coconut oil, coriander and wheat flour were also amongst the rations found, Ada Derana learned.

The warehouse reportedly belongs to the owner of a shop located down Fourth Cross Street in Colombo.

Accordingly, samples were gathered from all the rations and food items which were stocked at the warehouse by CAA officers, and measures were taken to send the said samples to the analyst.