Rajkot: The Special Operations Group (SOG) of Rajkot Rural police has unearthed a racket involved in the manufacture and sale of counterfeit pesticides being marketed as branded products, seizing goods worth more than ₹25 lakh from units operating in Lodhika taluka. Four persons linked to the illegal activity have been arrested.

Police carried out raids at manufacturing units located in Makhavad, Virva, and Ravki villages, where the accused were allegedly producing fake pesticides and selling them using the name of a well-known Indian multinational agrochemical company. Separate cases have been registered at Lodhika police station under the Copyright Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

Rajkot Rural DSP Vijaysinh Gurjar said that a raid at Shakti Chemicals in Virva revealed that counterfeit pesticides were being prepared using the brand name of a leading company. Stock worth around ₹14 lakh was seized from the premises, and a case was registered against Dhaval Korat (28), a science graduate from Rajkot.

During another raid at Green Bharat Chemicals in Ravki, police recovered fake pesticides bearing the same company label. Two accused — Sahil Timbadiya (30) and Kashyap Akoliya (35), both residents of Rajkot — were booked under the Copyright Act. Police said Sahil had previously been booked in a similar case at Shapar-Veraval police station.

In a third raid at Adikon Pesticides Pvt Ltd in Makhavad village, stock worth about ₹1.95 lakh was seized, and a case was registered against Dhruv Patoliya (27).

Preliminary investigation revealed that the accused were allegedly copying patented formulations, preparing chemical mixtures at their own facilities, and selling the products in the market under deceptively similar brand names. The counterfeit pesticides were mainly used for weed control and for pests affecting crops such as groundnut and cotton.

Police said samples of the seized pesticides will be sent to a laboratory in Gandhinagar for testing, and further charges may be added based on the report.

Officials suspect that the racket had been operating for nearly one and a half years, with the accused selling the products through distributors as well as online platforms. The businesses are believed to have generated turnover worth several crores annually, police added.