Aug 31, Colombo: Sri Lanka's Central Province Crime and Operation Unit of Police yesterday apprehended a container of waste tea that was being transported to a factory to be mixed with good quality tea.

Sri Lanka has tightened operations against the attempts to bring down the quality of Pure Ceylon Tea by blending good quality tea with waste tea.

The container with 6,000 kilos of waste tea purchased from a factory in Gampola of the Central Province was being transported to Kuliyapitiya when it was apprehended.

The factory to which the stock of 150 gunny bags of waste tea was being transported is engaged in the tea trade in local and foreign market.

The Police say that the arrest of the stock of waste tea with two suspects was conducted on information received.

The Police encourage public to pass information on such attempts to protect the brand name and the value of Ceylon Tea from unscrupulous traders.