police seized 70 bags of Diammonium Phosphate (DAP) which were being illegally transported in a Bolero pickup vehicle near the under-construction Ring Road near Nunsar. Upon initial inspection by agricultural authorities, the fertiliser appeared to be fake and samples have been collected for lab testing. Acting on information about the illegal transport of DAP, Deputy Director of Agriculture Dr. SK Nigam instructed immediate action and sent the Patan Fertilizer Inspector to the location. Later, Dr. Nigam personally visited the site along with SubDivisional Agriculture Officer Patan Dr. Indira Tripathi and IFFCO’s DGM Rajesh Mishra.

 

According to Dr. Nigam, Bolero pickup bearing registration no MP-38ZD-8508 was intercepted Thursday morning by Nunsar outpost police staff. It was found carrying 31 bags labelled as IFFCO DAP and 39 bags labelled as IPL DAP, reportedly being transported from Ritu Gram Bio Fertilizer, Sagar to Kantora (Nunsar). The initial inspection by the fertilizer inspector suggested the DAP was likely counterfeit. Dr. Nigam found that authentic IFFCO DAP bags are finely stitched with green thread but the seized bags were stitched with white thread. Besides this, the colour and texture of the bags differed from original ones.

 

It was also discovered that the firm responsible for packaging the DAP was not an authorized dealer of either IFFCO or IPL, a fact confirmed by company representatives on-site. Further, a preliminary field test involving rubbing the fertilizer with lime failed to release any ammonia gas, commonly present in genuine DAP, adding to suspicions of its authenticity. Samples from both IFFCO and IPL-labelled bags have been collected and are being sent to the Fertilizer Quality Control Laboratory for detailed analysis. Dr. Nigam informed that appropriate legal action will follow based on the lab results. The authorities in Sagar have also been informed about the involvement of the local firm suspected in this case. Meanwhile, the police have seized both the vehicle and the suspected counterfeit DAP for further investigation.