Police in the central highlands province of Dak Nong have raided a large coffee making facility for using battery powder to make fake coffee.
The police in Dak Nong collaborated with the inspectorate of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment to carry out the raid at the coffee manufacturing facility of Nguyen Thi Thanh Loan on April 17 following reports from local people.
They found tens of tonnes of coffee that were mixed with stone powder and other kinds of dirty substances. There were also two barrels full of battery shells weighing 35kg in total, and a pot of black water mixed with battery power. This water was set to be used to blacken the coffee.
The police seized 12 tonnes of dirty coffee and many pieces of equipment.
Loan admitted to having bought thrown-away coffee from wholesale agents, used battery powder to blacken the coffee, repacked the coffee and sold it.
Loan's facility was licensed in 2016 and sold over three tonnes of coffee made with battery powder since early 2018.
The case is still under investigation.
Police find tonnes of coffee mixed with battery powder in Dak Nong on April 17
![]() Loan admitted to having bought thrown-away coffee from wholesale agents, used battery powder to blacken the coffee |
Dtinews/Tien Phong