Complaint filed against unknown fish agents, truck operators

NT NETWORK

MARGAO

A complaint was filed against unknown wholesale fish agents and operators of 17 trucks that contained fish which tested positive for formalin during the FDA raid that was conducted last week.

Advocate Rajeev Gomes, who filed the complaint at Fatorda police station, said that he would wait till Monday to see if an FIR is registered, failing which  he would further approach the superintendent of police and court. In his complaint, Gomes has said that it is necessary to investigate the matter urgently.

“There is no such thing as formalin being within permissible limits. It is important that the police investigate where the formalin came from and who is responsible for putting the lives of Goans at risk. We will give the police till Monday to file an FIR, then we will take it to the SP and file a case in the court if no action is taken,” he said.

Gomes has asked the police to investigate the matter and unearth who, when and where the criminal conspiracy was hatched to preserve fish in formalin, identify the people involved, arrest and interrogate wholesale fish agents and operators of the trucks found with formalin added to fish and identify the source of the formalin that was found in the fish.

“It is beyond doubt that formalin was present on the fish when it was first tested during indicative spot tests as well as the later confirmatory laboratory testing. It is important to note that there are no permissible limits for presence of formalin in or on fish and such fish is unsafe and dangerous for human consumption,” Gomes has stated in his complaint.

He has also added that there is a high possibility that formalin would continue to be added to fish sold in the Goan market after the ban on imported fish is lifted, and therefore has asked for strict action to be initiated in detecting and stopping such illegal activities.