Rs. 1.8m canned fish haul seized in factory raid

The Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) today (26) raided a large-scale illegal canned fish production and packaging facility operating secretly in the Irabadagama area of Sandalankawa, without licences or compliance with legal regulations.

During the raid, officials seized a stock of canned fish worth nearly Rs. 1.8 million.

Senior Investigation Officer of the CAA, B.A.C.P. Perera, said that nearly 3,500 salmon tins were being packaged for market distribution at the time of the raid.

Authorities said the operation had been run in pursuit of higher profits while putting public health at risk.

One of the most serious findings was that the operators had allegedly printed fake manufacturing and expiry dates to mislead consumers.

In addition to the canned fish stock, officials also seized packaging materials, wrappers, a special machine used to print fake dates, and several other production-related equipment.

The raid was carried out based on confidential information received from members of the public and traders.

All seized canned fish stocks and equipment are expected to be produced before the Kuliyapitiya Magistrate’s Court for legal action.