Jharsuguda: Police have dismantled an illegal factory producing counterfeit diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) in Jharsuguda district, arresting seven individuals and seizing a substantial quantity of manufacturing materials, officials reported on Saturday.
Acting on intelligence gathered under Operation Netra, a specialized police team led by a Deputy Superintendent of Police conducted a raid on the factory located in the Siriabagicha area under Sadar police jurisdiction. Jharsuguda Superintendent of Police Gundala Reddy Raghav Endra stated at a press briefing that the facility was allegedly producing fake DEF using subsidized urea intended for farmers.
Investigators revealed that the counterfeit product was being packaged in branded buckets featuring logos from companies such as Tata and Ashok Leyland, and was being illegally distributed to various locations in Odisha and neighboring Chhattisgarh.
The arrested individuals have been identified as Mukesh Chand Yogi from Rajasthan, Raj Kumar Hemram and Brijbhushan Singh from Jharsuguda, Aman Kumar Singh from Lamti Bahal, Ziaul Ansari from Chhattisgarh, Akash Agrawal from Bargarh, and Partha Sarathi Mishra from Talcher.
Police confiscated 256 bags of urea, 422 empty branded buckets, 150 hologram stickers labeled “Ta ta Genuine Parts,” two Syntex tanks, a water motor, and two pickup vehicles loaded with suspected counterfeit DEF. Officials from the District Industries Centre and the Agriculture department were present during the raid to assist in verifying the seized materials.
Police have initiated a case and are conducting a broader investigation to trace the supply chain, with preliminary findings indicating connections extending into Chhattisgarh.
