Tea adulteration racket busted in Sanathnagar; one arrested

Hyderabad: The Commissioner’s Task Force (West Zone), along with Sanath Nagar Police, busted a tea powder adulteration racket in Sanathnagar and arrested a 33-year-old businessman, Jagannath Bishnoi of Fathenagar. Acting on a tip-off, officials raided his premises and uncovered large quantities of adulterated material.

Police said the accused prepared spurious tea by mixing cocopeat soaked in hot jaggery water and drying it for two to three days. The mixture was then blended with synthetic colours — Sunset Yellow and Tartrazine Orange — and combined with low-grade tea dust and granules in fixed proportions. Authorities seized 120 kg of adulterated tea, 30 kg of genuine tea, 138 kg of cocopeat mixture, synthetic colours, jaggery boxes, weighing scales, a gas cylinder and other equipment. Officials advised consumers to purchase from trusted vendors.