Sakha Organics, from whose clandestine lab the Narcotics Control Bureau had seized 30 litres of methamphetamine, never obtained a licence to operate in the Savli-Mokshi area of Vadodara district.

When a factory inspection team of the Industrial Safety and Health Department visited the plant, the unit was closed.

“A criminal case in a Vadodara district court was filed against the owner, Kirit Shah, for operating the plant. The case is still on and the judgment is pending,” said Prateek Shah, the newly-appointed Joint Director of the Gujarat Industrial Safety and Health Department in Vadodara. “Our factory inspectors went to inspect the plant in March 2007. They found the plant closed,” Shah added.

Interestingly, the Food and Drug Control Administration said that the department has nothing to do with the plant, although in business directories and yellow pages, one would find that Sakha Organics manufactures not just paraffin wax and organic hair dyes, but also basmati rice and groundnut cream for skin.

“The company owner had listed paraffin wax and hair dye, for which we do not issue licences,” said D M Patel, Assistant Commisioner, Food and Drug Control Administration.

Even as the unit was shut, it continued sending its turnover to various American and Indian web directories listing various industries of the country.

According to websites such as bizsearch.com and easy2source.com, Sakha Organics is an industry in India producing organic products such as Jatropha oil, basmati rice and hair dyes, with a turnover of over 1 million dollars (Rs 12 crore).

... contd.