The Special Task Force (STF) of Uttar Pradesh Police has uncovered a major racket involving the production of fake tea. During a raid in the state capital, Lucknow, STF officials seized over 11 quintals of adulterated tea, which is being described as highly dangerous to human health. On Tuesday (14th January), Mohammad Arif, a wholesale tea supplier, was arrested in this operation. Retail vendors Mohammad Saleem, Mohammad Tahir, and Mohammad Umar are still at large. The authorities are also searching for Unas from the Unas Kirana Store.
According to UP STF, their teams had been receiving information for some time about the sale of fake food products in Lucknow. Based on this intelligence, STF Deputy SP Avnishwar Chandra Srivastava set a trap to apprehend the accused. The information turned out to be correct, and a fake tea manufacturing operation was found in Krishna Lok Colony in Faizullaganj, Madiyawan police station area. The tea being produced was reportedly extremely harmful to people’s health.
Mohammad Arif’s Poisonous Tea Contained Yellow Dye Chemical
On Tuesday, during the raid, the STF seized approximately 11,000 kilograms of fake tea, which was packaged in different sachets. Mohammad Arif was caught at the scene. He confessed to the police that he sourced cheap, low-quality tea leaves from Assam and mixed various chemicals to make the tea stronger. The most alarming part was that one of the chemicals used was a yellow dye, which is harmful to health. This tea was then packaged and sold in districts such as Bahraich, Sitapur, Barabanki, and Shahjahanpur.
STF claims that the chemical added to the tea was severely detrimental to health. During questioning, Arif revealed that the tea was being sold through Unas from Unas Kirana store in Khadra, Lucknow, as well as Mohammad Saleem, Mohammad Tahir, and Mohammad Umar from Lucknow. Following Arif’s arrest, the other accused have gone into hiding, and the STF is continuing to search for them.
A First Information Report (FIR) was filed against Arif and the other accused in Madiyawan police station, based on a report from an STF sub-inspector. The FIR includes charges under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 318 (2), 318 (4), 274, 275, and 111. The police are conducting further investigations and taking necessary legal action.
Fake Tea Brands Used as Cover for Illegal Activities
TFI’s investigation revealed that Arif and his gang were selling fake tea under several brand names, including Hamnava Gold Tea, Royal KB Tea, Blue Mountain, Good Morning Assam Tea, Garden Fresh Premium Quality Tea, Assam Tiger Strong Tea, NBR Tea, and Bikkati, among others. Some brands were listed as being manufactured in Daman and Diu, while others were said to be made in Bahraich’s Nanpara.
Large quantities of these brand labels and packaging materials were recovered, although the names of those who produced these brands have not yet been made public. Additionally, the MRP of a 250-gram packet of tea was approximately Rs. 85, with details like email IDs and other information written on the packets. The STF is verifying these details.
Not Just Health, But Also Revenue Loss
According to the information gathered by TFI, Arif and his gang’s illegal activities were also causing significant losses to government revenue. The entire operation was running without any registration, including GST evasion and other crimes. The criminals were using plain paper for their operations, and after completing deliveries and payments, they would shred the documents to avoid leaving any trace.
Our investigation also revealed that Mohammad Arif, when arrested, appeared to realize his illegal business was collapsing. He pleaded with the STF, begging for mercy and requesting his release. However, his pleas were of no use, and the police arrested him. It is likely that more names will emerge in the ongoing investigation.
