Adulterated Tea Leaves Racket Busted in UP's Barabanki: 763 kg Seized from Illegal Factory, 1 Arrested

Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh: In a major crackdown on food adulteration, the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF) raided an illegal factory in the Baddupur area of Barabanki district on Saturday and arrested one person for manufacturing and supplying adulterated tea leaves.

Acting on a credible tip-off, the STF team raided the factory in Shahpur village and recovered 763.75 kg of adulterated tea leaves mixed with harmful chemicals, along with 3.9 kg of colouring agents. Authorities also seized a packing machine and approximately 149.5 kg of empty plastic wrappers bearing labels of popular brands. The estimated market value of the seized adulterated tea is around Rs 1.50 lakh.

The arrested individual has been identified as Mohammad Shakeel, a resident of Shahpur village in Barabanki.

Interrogation revealed that Shakeel was part of an organised gang that procured low-quality and waste tea leaves from Assam. The gang allegedly processed these leaves by adding various chemicals to enhance their colour and flavour artificially. The adulterated mixture was then packed under fake brand names such as 'Fast-Tea' and 'Garden Fresh' before being supplied to markets in several districts, including Lucknow, Barabanki, Sitapur, Shahjahanpur, and Bahraich, for substantial profits.

The operation was led by Sub-Inspector Rajesh Singh under the supervision of Additional Superintendent of Police Avanishwar Chandra Srivastava.

A case has been registered against the accused at the Baddupur police station under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including 318(2), 318(4), 274, and 275. The local police are continuing further investigation and legal proceedings.

(With inputs from ANI)

Also Read: Foreign Ministry Warns Public Against Fraudsters Posing as MEA Advisors on Social Media & Offering Paid Consultations