Siliguri, Aug. 12: The Tea Board of India will conduct frequent raids in bought-leaf factories to stop the entry of impure tea in domestic and international markets following the seizure of such brew from two units a few days ago.

“We have received complaints from Pakistan that adulterated Indian brew is being exported,” Basudeb Banerjee, the tea board chairman, said today. “The export of such tea poses a serious threat for us in the international market. We are working on these complaints and are trying to find out factories where colours, tea waste and some other material are being used to produce the impure tea.”

Banerjee added that complaints about such tea have also come from places like Karnataka in south India and Kachar in Assam.

“We will continue to conduct raids in tea producing units on the basis of tip-offs and complaints. It will be an ongoing exercise to stop the entry of impure tea in the market. We will also take steps against those involved in this racket,” the chairman added.

Earlier this month, the tea board acted on a tip-off and raided two factories, one in Tamil Nadu and another in Bengal’s North Dinajpur district, both owned by the same company, and seized around 30,000 kg of impure tea.

“We had sent the samples to labs for tests and have already received the report of the one sent from the factory in south India,” Banerjee said. “It has confirmed our fear that several substances had been mixed with tealeaves to obtain the final product.”

The board has issued showcause notices to the company, asking it to explain why the factory and export licences issued to it should not be revoked. The 26,000kg of tea seized from the company’s factory in south India was about to be shipped to Afghanistan through the Tuticorin Port, board officials had said.

According to Banerjee, the company’s actions are a violation of the Tea (Waste) Control Order, 1959 and Tea (Distribution and Export) Control Order, 2005. “We have also recommended the case to the Tamil Nadu government, mentioning that selling adulterated tea is in contravention to the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954.”