Police in Mzimba on Wednesday arrested a 27-year-old businessman, Bleston Meya for allegedly possessing 72 bags of counterfeit NPK fertiliser at Jenda Trading Centre in the district.
According to Macfarlen Mseteka, the Public Relations Officer for Jenda Police Station, detectives received a tip-off that a businessman was possessing and selling fake NPK fertiliser. “In the evening of 31 January 2024, detectives raided his shop and they found him possessing 72 bags, weighing 50 kilogrammes each suspected to be fake,” he said.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the fake fertiliser is a mixture of soil with a minimum percentage of authentic fertiliser. All 72 bags of suspected fake fertiliser have been seized and sent to Lunyangwa Research Station for analysis.
The suspect who comes from Kambiri Village in Traditional Authority Kachere in Dedza faces charges of possession and sale of counterfeit products. He will appear before the court when all paperwork is completed.
Meanwhile, Jenda Police Station cautions farmers and members of the community to be observant when buying fertiliser from dealers to avoid being sold counterfeit products. “People found doing such illegal business should be reported to the authorities,” said Mseteka.
