Warangal Task Force arrests 13 for sale of counterfeit, expired pesticides

The Task Force police in Warangal arrested 11 individuals linked to three different gangs, along with two others engaged in the illegal sale of pesticides.

Warangal: The Task Force police in Warangal arrested 11 individuals linked to three different gangs, along with two others engaged in the illegal sale of these products, including prohibited herbicides. This was after a series of raids carried out in Geesugonda, Narsampeta, Chennaraopet and Inavolu Mandals within Warangal district. The police seized counterfeit and expired pesticides, along with machinery used for their production, valued at Rs 57 lakh.

Warangal Police Commissioner AV Ranganath said the investigation uncovered the widespread distribution of forged pesticides and insecticides in the Narsampeta vicinity. Acting on this lead, police and Agriculture officials raided the residence of Bhukya Mathru Rathod in Maheshwam village. Rathod’s house was found to be an illegal pesticide production facility, where he was making chemical concoctions in substantial quantities, packaging them into containers of varying sizes, and affixing counterfeit company names and misleading labels.

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The accused were sourcing raw materials for the counterfeit pesticides from Hyderabad. Acting upon this information, the Task Force and Agriculture officials conducted a raid at Multichem Agro Industry in Hyderabad, where unauthorized manufacture of fake pesticides and bio-fertilizers was on.

Another accused, Hanumandla Bhaskar, who was arrested for distributing forged pesticides in Upparapalli village of Chennaraopet, revealed to the police that he obtained the fake pesticides from Srilakshmi Biotech Company in Abdullapuram village near Hyderabad. Following this, the Task Force raided Srilakshmi Biotech Company and seized counterfeit pesticides apart from arresting the company’s owner, Madithati Shekhar Reddy.

The police also found that Sri Someswara Fertilizers and Pesticides store in Nandanam village, Inavolu mandal was illicitly selling banned glyphosate, an herbicide.

The police have issued a caution to farmers, urging them to exercise vigilance while procuring pesticides and bio-fertilizers and to acquire these from authorized dealers only.