Four persons were arrested for allegedly transporting and attempting to sell banned and spurious BT-3 cotton seeds in Telangana during a joint operation by the LB Nagar Special Operations Team (SOT), Agriculture Department and Hayathnagar police.

The arrested were identified as Chalivendula Raja Ram, 42, Gosa Swamy Dasu, 48, Anumula Malleswaraiah, 28, and Kandala Chinna Obulesu, 45, all natives of Nandyal district in Andhra Pradesh.

The accused were apprehended near Pista House (restaurant) at Peddamberpet while transporting the seeds from Andhra Pradesh’s Nandyal district to Hayathnagar to sell them to farmers.

The accused failed to produce any valid licences, invoices, transport permits or authorisation documents for possession and transportation of seeds.

Police seized around 600 kilograms of suspected fake BT-3 cotton seeds packed in 10 gunny bags, along with two vehicles and four mobile phones.

According to the police, the accused had conspired with an absconding suspect, identified as Ram Mohan Reddy of Allagadda in Nandyal district, to procure and transport the banned seeds for sale in Telangana by falsely claiming that they would provide higher crop yield and better production.

Investigators further found that the prime accused, Raja Ram, had earlier operated a seeds and pesticides business in Nandyal district and procured the cotton seeds illegally with the assistance of the other accused. Dasu had previously been involved in a similar fake seeds case registered in 2021.

According to investigators, Malleswaraiah acted as an escort vehicle driver to help avoid police checks, while Obulesu transported the seeds in the Bolero vehicle.

Officials said the use of prohibited and spurious cotton seeds could lead to poor germination, crop failure and severe financial losses for farmers. Such seeds may also affect soil fertility and agricultural productivity, apart from forcing farmers to spend additional amounts on fertilisers, pesticides and re-sowing.

Police said efforts are underway to trace and arrest the absconding accused. Further investigation is in progress.