Ukhrul, November 7: In the aftermath of a food poisoning incident that left over 30 students receiving medical attention at Ukhrul District Hospital, Ukhrul Police have seized 19 packets of a spicy snack brand identified as Mauli Pola. Each packet reportedly contained around 2000 individual pieces.
A similar incident has been reported from Sanakeithei village, where more than 50 students are said to have fallen ill after consuming the same brand of snack.
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According to the Tangkhul Leisak Long (Tangkhul Trade and Commerce Union), the stock—comprising approximately 5,500 snack pieces—was handed over to the union office at around 12:20 pm on Friday by a local wholesale shop in the town. The seized items were subsequently turned over to Ukhrul Police.
Sources said that the wholesaler was taken to the police station for questioning as part of the ongoing investigation.
As per police, the product was introduced to local shop owners through WhatsApp groups and distributed across the district during the first week of November. Two shopkeepers initially received the snack and subsequently supplied it to other retailers in Ukhrul.
One of the shopkeepers said they acted immediately after learning about the food poisoning reports.
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“We had just sent two packs to a village, but as soon as we heard about the incident, we contacted the transporter and instructed him not to open or sell the product,” the shopkeeper said.
Another woman shopkeeper shared her personal experience after tasting the snack herself. “I always taste new products before selling them so that I can recommend them to my customers. I ate half of a stick, and within minutes, I began to feel dizzy and started vomiting profusely,” she recounted.
A Food Safety Officer is expected to arrive in Ukhrul tomorrow to inspect the seized products before they are destroyed by the police.
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Investigations have revealed that the snacks were manufactured and packed by Global Tradelink Private Limited, located in Kamrup, Guwahati, and bear the FSSAI number 10324002000070. The products were supplied to local retailers by a dealer based in Imphal’s Masjid Road area during the first week of October.
With cheap and counterfeit snack brands increasingly entering the market, the incident has raised serious concerns among parents and citizens.