Chinese restaurant owner arrested for lacing chilli oil with poppy

A restaurant owner in western China has been arrested for adding parts of the poppy plant, from which opium is made, to his food, according to a local newspaper report.

Market supervision and food safety authorities in Chengdu, Sichuan province, launched an investigation into a popular hotpot restaurant last month after receiving a tip-off from a customer, the Chengdu Commercial Daily reported.

Authorities found substances suspected to be poppy shells – the bud of the plant in which poppy seeds are found – in a pot of home-made chilli oil in Xueshan Fast Food Restaurant.

Test results showed that the chilli oil, which was added to some cold dishes and noodles, contained addictive components including opiates.