Tea Lovers Alert! Police Seizes 430 Kg of Adulterated Tea; Two Arrested

Two men were reportedly arrested by Mumbai police in a slum area in Sewree for apparently adulterating tea with a scented synthetic substance and selling it to various shopkeepers throughout the city. The couple, who have no license to sell or stock tea, also had 430 kg of contaminated tea worth Rs 85,000 seized by the police.

A police squad stormed a godown in Ramgad slum in Sewree about 11 a.m. on May 14 after receiving information that tea was being tampered with. The offenders, Rahul Shaikh (26) and Raju Shaikh (29) were arrested.

The Tea Was to be Found Hazardous to Human Health

They added a chemical to the tea to give it an aroma and flavor. This type of tea provides no benefits to the customer and is perhaps hazardous to their health. "We conducted the raid under the supervision of a food safety officer," said Sewree police station senior inspector Manoj Saindre. The accused was also found with a digital weighing machine, a dealer's checkbook, files, and a stamp pad.

On May 15, an FIR (first information report) was filed under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 328 (causing harm by poison), 272 (adulteration of food for sale), 273 (selling noxious food), 420 (cheating), and 34 (common intention) and the Food Safety and Standards Act sections 26 (2) (1), 26 (2), 27 (1), 57, 59, and 63 on the responsibility of food business operators, the liability of manufacturers, packers, wholesalers.

Manoj Saindre, a senior police inspector of the Sewri police station, verified the case's retrieval and arrest when contacted.

The Sewri police department filed an FIR under the Indian Penal Code and the Food Safety Standards Act of 2006. A parallel investigation is being conducted by food safety officials.

"The defendants had been selling, producing, adulterating, and hoarding tea powder without a license. The documents obtained are being examined for additional inquiry "According to the police officer.