Crackdown on counterfeit pesticides: Police seize fake pesticides worth Rs 22 lakh; Woman claims she was misled into the operation

Dumka: A police team raided a factory in Mahadevvaran village of Sahibganj district on Wednesday and seized a large quantity of fake pesticide and illegal packaging materials, officials said on Thursday.During the raid, police detained a woman, identified as Putul Devi, from the house where the fake materials were recovered. She is currently being questioned.Sahibganj sub-divisional officer (SDO), civil, Amar John Aind said, “Representatives of Indosil company had approached us with a complaint. We then conducted a raid which led to the seizure of counterfeit pesticide valued at Rs 22 lakh apart from raw materials and brand stickers of the product.

Seized counterfeit pesticide would be sent for examination for further legal recourse.”According to Ravi Kumar Singh, chief investigator of Indosil Company, the raid led to the recovery of approximately 1,610 pieces of fake pesticide bottles of 50 ml each, along with 24,570 counterfeit stickers and certain chemicals used in production. “We were receiving inputs for quite some time that fake versions of our ‘Electo’ pesticide were being circulated in the market.

Upon conducting a survey, we came to know about the illegal supply chain operating from this location,” Singh said.“We informed the Sahibganj district police and agriculture department authorities for their help,” he further said.In her statement to the police, Putul Devi claimed innocence and alleged that she was misled by an individual.“I was not aware that the product was a counterfeit one. A man named Mukesh Kumar from Munger (Bihar) approached me and offered work to pack bottles for Rs 2 per piece. He told me I could earn up to Rs 2,000 a day by packing around 1,000 bottles,” she said.