In a significant crackdown on cross-border food smuggling, a joint operation was conducted on July 28 in Tripura’s Dhalai district, leading to the seizure of a large quantity of illegally imported packaged food items from two English medium school canteens and adjacent shops in Lalchhari area.

According to a press statement issued by the Tripura Health Department on Tuesday, the operation was carried out based on intelligence inputs from confidential sources. The raid was led by Bijay Bhattacharya, Food Safety Officer of Ambassa District Health Department, and Zueb Betu, Inspector of the Ambassa Sub-division Food Department.

The raid targeted St. Arnold School and St. John's School, where officials recovered a substantial quantity of Myanmar-origin packaged food items. The seized products included dried fish fry, fried chicken, chocolates, and other snack items popular among schoolchildren.

Authorities noted that the items were being sold without mandatory labeling and safety certifications. “Most of these products lacked essential information such as FSSAI license number, manufacturing and expiry dates, and pricing. Some packages did not even mention the name of the food item, making them completely untraceable and unsafe for consumption,” the statement said.

Officials confirmed that the seized items pose serious health risks, especially to children, and were in clear violation of food safety regulations. The products were confiscated under Section 27 and Section 52 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, and are scheduled for destruction as per government protocol.

Show-cause notices are being issued to the school canteens and shop owners involved. Further legal action, including penalties, may be initiated following a detailed inquiry. Authorities also confirmed that the role of the school management will be probed.

Preliminary investigations suggest the products were smuggled into India through the Damchara border in North Tripura and distributed via local retail chains.

In response to the incident, the district administration has assured stricter surveillance across school canteens and commercial outlets to curb the inflow of unauthorized food products.

Meanwhile, the Health and Food Departments have urged citizens to remain vigilant while purchasing packaged food items and to verify crucial details like the expiry date, manufacturer name, FSSAI license number, and price before consumption.