TIRUCHY: Agri officials from Thanjavur district seized 15 tonne of fake fertiliser, labelled as ‘OAP’ to resemble ‘DAP’, and sealed the godown on Thursday.

Based on a tip-off, Salem Agriculture Department officials conducted a raid and seized the spurious fertiliser transported from Thanjavur to Thalaivasal. They were marketed as organic fertiliser by naming it as OAP, making it appear similar to DAP fertiliser, which is more popular among farmers. Officials conducted an inspection of the particular fertiliser manufacturing unit, during which they found that a load of such OAP material was transported from Thanjavur on June 19, bearing the brand name of a Dharmapuri-based fertiliser manufacturer. The officials found that the particular fertiliser was made solely from clay, and it had no nutrient content.

Subsequently, the team of officials from Salem secured five persons from Thanjavur who came with a load of fertiliser in an auto rickshaw.