Iraqi authorities shut food factory, warehouse in Baghdad and Mosul over adulteration

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Iraqi security forces shut a food factory in eastern Baghdad and a tea warehouse in Mosul on Wednesday in separate operations against adulterated goods, the Baghdad Operations Command and Nineveh Police said. According to the Baghdad Operations Command, units of the 1st Federal Police Division, together with Federal Police intelligence and the Nidhat al-Amin and Hisna police stations, inspected unlicensed food facilities in the Fouzeyleh area. Inspectors found that flour covered by the public distribution system had been replaced with a product unfit for human consumption. Five people were detained and 500 sacks of flour were seized. The suspects and the confiscated materials were handed over to the relevant authorities for legal action. In a separate operation, Nineveh Police said the Organized Crime Directorate raided a warehouse on Mosul's left bank that was repackaging tea under other brands' labels. The warehouse was shut down and its contents seized, the police said, adding that legal proceedings had been opened against those responsible. No further details were immediately available.