Police seize 72 counterfeitfertiliser bags in Mzimba

Police in Mzimba on Wednesday arrested a Bleston Meya, 27, and seized 72 bags of alleged counterfeit fertiliser in his possession at Jenda Trading Centre in the district.

Jenda Police Station spokesperson MacFarlen Mseteka said they were tipped off that the suspect had counterfeit fertiliser which he was selling in his shop.

He said: “In the evening of January 31 2024, detectives raided his shop and found the alleged counterfeit fertiliser.

“Preliminary investigations show that the counterfeit fertiliser is a mixture of soil and very little percentage of fertiliser. All the 72 bags have been seized.”

Mseteka said a sample of the counterfeit fertiliser has been sent to Lunyangwa Research Station for analysis.

He said the suspect will be charged with being found in possession of counterfeit products and offering the same for the same.

Meya, who comes from Kambiri Village in Traditional Authority Kachere in Dedza District will appear before court soon.

Last year, the Malawi Bureau of Standards also confiscated a consignment of fake and defective fertilisers in Mzuzu.