Task Force Busts Tea Powder Adulteration Racket in Sanathnagar; One Arrested

Hyderabad: The Commissioner’s Task Force (West Zone Team), in coordination with the Sanath Nagar Police, busted a tea powder adulteration racket in Sanath Nagar and arrested a 33-year-old businessman for allegedly mixing synthetic substances with tea powder to make illegal profits.

The accused has been identified as Jagannath Bishnoi (33), a resident of Fathenagar, Hyderabad. Acting on credible information, the Task Force team conducted a raid at his premises and seized large quantities of adulterated material.

During inquiry, the accused reportedly confessed that he prepared adulterated tea powder by mixing cocopeat with hot jaggery water, drying it for two to three days, and then adding synthetic food colours such as Sunset Yellow and Tartrazine Orange. The coloured cocopeat mixture was further dried and blended with low-quality tea dust and granules.

For every kilogram of adulterated tea powder, he allegedly mixed 450 grams of low-grade tea dust, 500 grams of low-grade tea granules and 50 grams of colour-treated cocopeat. The product was then sold to local tea stalls and dealers at higher prices by misrepresenting it as genuine tea powder.

The police seized 120 kg of colour-mixed tea powder, 30 kg of natural tea powder, 138 kg of cocopeat mix, 800 grams of Sunset colour, 700 grams of Tartrazine colour, jaggery boxes, a weighing machine, a domestic gas cylinder, carry bag bundles and other equipment used in the adulteration process.

Officials warned that food adulteration poses serious risks to public health and that strict legal action will be taken against those involved. The public has been advised to purchase food products only from authorized and reputed sellers and to report any suspected adulteration to authorities.

The raid was carried out by the West Zone Task Force Inspector and team along with local police officials.