Fake Pesticide Racket Busted in Warangal – Seven Arrested

A gang involved in selling fake and expired pesticides under the names of reputed companies has been busted by the Task Force and Mattewada police in Warangal. In a joint operation, seven people were arrested, while one suspect remains absconding, and another is already in jail.

Fake Pesticides Worth ₹78.63 Lakh Seized

During the operation, police seized a huge cache of counterfeit and expired pesticides, fake seeds, manufacturing equipment, printing materials, two cars, and six mobile phones, all worth approximately ₹78.63 lakh.

Details of the Arrested Individuals:

1. Irukulla Vedaprakash (53) – Mattewada, Warangal
2. Mohammed Siddiq Ali (46) – Laxmipuram, Warangal
3. Nooka Rajesh alias Raju (40) – Sultanabad, Peddapalli
4. Yellam Sadasivudu (57) – Karimnagar
5. M.D. Rafiq (50) – Govindaraopet, Mulugu
6. Allacheruvu Shekar (37) – Madugu, Prakasam
7. Podilla Sambayya (55) – Duggondi, Warangal
8. Vishnu Vardhan – Absconding
9. Muddagula Aditya (32) – Hyderabad (Currently in jail)

How Was the Fake Pesticide Network Operating?

According to Warangal Police Commissioner Sunpreet Singh, the gang was engaged in illegally repackaging expired pesticides under the labels of major pesticide brands and selling them in the market.

The prime accused, Irukulla Vedaprakash, procured expired pesticides from local traders and Siddiq, a pesticide company representative. The gang then rebranded them using labels of well-known companies such as Tata, Dhanuka, Rallis, Bayer, and Adama before selling them.

Meanwhile, Allacheruvu Shekar, Vishnu Vardhan, and Aditya (currently in jail) were involved in manufacturing fake pesticides with counterfeit labels and supplying them to the gang.

Farmers Deceived with Fake Pesticides

The accused sold these counterfeit and expired pesticides to local traders, who in turn sold them to unsuspecting farmers, causing significant losses to the agricultural community.

Police Raids and Seizures

Based on information from Vedaprakash, police raided godowns belonging to Allacheruvu Shekar and Vishnu Vardhan, seizing a large quantity of fake pesticides, manufacturing machines, labels, counterfeit seeds, two cars, and mobile phones.

Commendation for Police Officers

Police Commissioner Sunpreet Singh praised the efforts of Task Force officers, ACPs Madhusudhan and Nandiram Naik, Inspectors S. Raju and Gopi, and SIs Vamsikrishna, Naveen, Bhanu Prakash, among others, for their role in cracking down on this racket.

Authorities Warn Farmers

Authorities have advised farmers to purchase pesticides only from authorized dealers and consult agricultural officers before making any purchases to avoid falling victim to such fraudulent practices.