Gadwal: Police bust fake pesticide racket

Gadwal: In a significant development, the district police have filed cases against distributors involved in the circulation of counterfeit pesticides.

According to District Additional Superintendent of Police N Ravi, eight individuals were accused at Ieeja Police Station, with an additional seven at Itikyal Police Station, all linked to the distribution of spurious pesticides like Tracer and Deligate, commonly used in chili crops to combat pests. The police seized 10 bottles of Deligate and 10 bottles of Deligate 180 ml each during the operation.

Legal actions have been initiated against Srinivasa Agro Traders at Satarla village and Jai Kisan Enterprises, along with dealers in Ieeja town, accused of selling fake pesticides under the guise of reputable companies. Cases were filed based on complaints from company managers, leading to 41 CR PC notices served to the accused.

Upon receiving complaints, the police conducted inspections, uncovering fake pesticides that outwardly resembled genuine products but, upon scanning the barcodes, were identified as malicious. Investigations by the CCS team revealed that Javed Jamil supplied these fake pesticides directly to Jaikishan Traders in Ieeja and, through Javed Hussain, to Srinivasa Traders in Satarla village.

Meanwhile, Gadwal has witnessed a disturbing trend where many pesticide dealers sell counterfeit and substandard products, exploiting unsuspecting farmers. The prevalence of such practices is attributed to the lack of supervision by the agriculture department and alleged corruption among officials.

The farmers have urged the district collector and other higher officials to take effective measures to curb the circulation of fake pesticides and other illicit commodities.