HANAMKONDA: In a joint operation on Saturday, Task Force sleuths and Matwada police seized spurious pesticides and seeds worth `78.63 lakh. Seven persons involved in selling them to farmers were arrested, while one more person remains absconding, and another is already in jail.
The arrested persons are: Erukulla Vedaprakash, a resident of Matwada, Warangal; Mohammed Siddiq Ali, a resident of Warangal; Nooka A Rajesh, a resident of Peddapalli district; Yalam Sadashiva, a resident of Srinagar, Karimnagar district; Md Rafiq, a resident of Chalvai village, Govindaraopet mndal, Mulugu district; Alla Cherevu Sekhar, a resident of Andhra Pradesh; and Podilla Sambaiah, a resident of Thimmampet, Warangal.
The absconding accused is Vishnu Vardhan Reddy, while Muddangula Adithya, another suspect, is currently in jail.
Warangal CP Sunpreet Singh disclosing the details to media persons, said that based on reliable information the Task Force team, Matwada police and Agriculture department officials conducted a joint operation and a large quantity of expired and counterfeit pesticides and seeds was seized from the premises.
During the investigation, it was revealed that the accused had been engaged in the illegal sale of spurious seeds and fake or expired pesticides for the last five years. At the time of the raid the suspects had gathered at Vedaprakash’s house to discuss expanding their operations and to take delivery of expired pesticides for distribution to unsuspecting farmers, aiming to make huge profits.
Vedaprakash confessed to procuring expired pesticides at low prices from local traders and supplying them to Md Rafiq and Podilla Sambaiah.