Nagpur: In a joint operation, Nagpur Police and officials from the Agriculture Department uncovered an illegal racket involving the transportation of banned HTBT cotton seeds in the Wadi area. Authorities seized 798 packets of prohibited seeds concealed inside government-subsidised fertiliser bags, along with a vehicle and other material collectively valued at around Rs 8.70 lakh.

Acting on specific intelligence inputs, police and agriculture officials intercepted a suspicious three-wheeler vehicle for inspection. At first glance, the vehicle appeared to be carrying 13 plastic sacks filled with NPK fertiliser.

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June 09 2026 - Time 10.30Hrs

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Gold 22 KT ₹ 1,41,600 /-

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Platinum ₹ 88,000/-

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However, during a detailed search, officials discovered that the fertiliser bags were being used as a cover to conceal 798 packets of banned HTBT cotton seeds.

Two persons were taken into custody in connection with the case. They were identified as Yogesh Bhimrao Dabarse and Sameer Suresh Kakde, both residents of Nagpur.

The seized property includes the prohibited seed packets as well as the vehicle allegedly used for transporting them.

During preliminary questioning, the accused claimed that they had merely been assigned the task of transporting the consignment from one location to another. However, they failed to provide satisfactory details regarding the original supplier or the intended destination of the seeds.

Officials suspect that the seizure may be linked to a larger illegal distribution network. Police and the Agriculture Department have launched a detailed investigation to trace the source of the contraband seeds and identify other individuals involved in the operation.

Authorities believe the probe could expose a wider smuggling and distribution syndicate dealing in banned agricultural products across the region.