Police have raided four leading curry houses in London’s East End including Brick Lane in a joint operation with trading standards officers and customs and excise over allegations of ‘dodgy’ wine.

They took away samples of wine in the operation at the three Clifton restaurants in Whitechapel Road near Brick Lane and two at Westferry Road near Canary Wharf. The fourth restaurant raided was the Shampan in Brick Lane.

“inquiries are ongoing,” a police spokesman told the East London Advertiser today. “We cannot comment on the details, but can confirm that officers went into the four restaurants and some wine was taken away, but we are not saying from which premises.”

The raids were a joint operation with HM Custom & Excise and Tower Hamlets council’s treading standards officers on March 21.

The Clifton chain of restaurants is owned by leading Brick Lane business guru Shiraj Haque who was behind the campaign to elect Lutfur Rahman as first-ever elected mayor of Tower Hamlets.