Two tonnes of stale fish seized at Palakkad railway station

PALAKKAD: Two tonnes of stale fish brought from Tamil Nadu to Palakkad by train for sale were seized by officials. The stale fish was found at Olavakkode Railway Junction during a joint inspection by the Railway Protection Force (RPF) and the railway police. Officials suspect that the fish had earlier been seized and sent back by the Tamil Nadu Health Department from Nagercoil. Tests are being carried out to confirm this.

The fish was found at around 9:30 pm last night in the parcel coach of the Island Express train. It was stored in 24 boxes. Police said a foul smell was coming from the boxes, but health and food safety officials did not reach the spot despite being informed. As a result, the police had to guard the boxes until early morning. More details about the condition of the fish will be known only after officials complete their inspection.

The inspection was carried out based on a tip-off from Tamil Nadu RPF intelligence that stale fish unfit for consumption was being transported. Last month too, police had seized stale fish brought by train in a similar manner. Officials said that sometimes chemicals are used to remove the bad smell of such fish before selling it in the market.