Police in Jessore arrested five people with adulterated honey

Jessore Correspondent: Police have recovered five ounces of adulterated honey and honey-making materials from two adulterated honey factories in Abhaynagar of Jessore with the help of villagers. Three people, including two factory owners, have been arrested. The three were arrested in a raid at Ziadanga village in Prembagh union of the upazila on Wednesday afternoon.

Five manas of adulterated honey and honey-making materials were recovered. The three arrested are Jahangir Alam, 35, son of late Yakubbar Sardar of Ziadanga village, Rezaul Islam, 34, son of Abul Sardar of the same village and Shahidul Islam, 21, son of Hasan Ali of Gabkhali village in Prembagh union.

Ziadanga villagers said that Jahangir and Rezaul of the village have been making adulterated honey in their house for a long time with the help of an influential leader of the local union Juba League. That honey is supplied to different districts of the country.

After informing the matter to UP chairman Mofiz Uddin, the chairman stayed with the leaders of the local market committee at Magura Bazar of the union on Wednesday morning. About one ounce of adulterated honey was being taken to Nawapara market in a van around 11:30 pm.

At that time, Chairman Mofiz Uddin and the leaders of the market committee arrested the three including Madhu in the van and informed the Abhaynagar police. UP Chairman Mofiz Uddin said that for a long time a group of villagers from Ziadanga had been making adulterated honey and supplying it to different districts of the country. With the help of the local Magura market committee, it was possible to arrest three people including adulterated honey.

Later they were handed over to the police. In this regard, Abhaynagar Police Station SI Gautam Kumar Mandal said, three people involved in making adulterated honey have been arrested from Ziadanga village of Upazila Prembagh Union. Detained Jahangir Alam's confession was raided at his house. At that time, a factory for making adulterated honey was found in his house.

About four and a half ounces of adulterated honey, a digital scale, sugar as honey making materials, five empty sacks of sugar, alum, water and some wasted honey were recovered. He said the house of Rezaul Islam was raided at noon and almost half of the adulterated honey was recovered.

Three persons have been taken into police custody along with adulterated honey and seized goods. Detainee Jahangir Alam said 95 kg of honey seized from Magura market was being sent to Comilla district. He avoided answering the question that they are running this adulterated honey business with the help of an influential local Juba League leader.

He also said that he has been making honey in his house for several years. Regarding the process of making honey, Jahangir Alam said that after mixing sugar, alum, water and wasted honey, it is burnt in the fire. Then adulterated honey is made. It costs about 100 rupees to make one kg of honey. Made honey is sold at a wholesale price of Tk 200 to Tk 300 per kg.