Illegal pesticides seized on property in Rio Grande do Sul

State agricultural inspectors from the Department of Plant Protection of the Secretariat of Agriculture, Livestock, Sustainable Production and Irrigation (DDV/Seapi) participated, on the morning of this Friday (18/7), in the seizure of 946 liters and 3,5 kilograms of pesticides on a rural property in the municipality of Augusto Pestana, in the northwest of Rio Grande do Sul. The operation was carried out in conjunction with the Military Brigade and the Civil Police, through the 8th Police Department for the Repression of Rural Crimes and Cattle Theft (Decrab).

The products, estimated at R$100, were hidden in a decommissioned and buried fuel tank, the access to which was concealed by a heavy iron lid covered with debris. None of the pesticides had an invoice, and the inspected property had no legal record of the purchase of the inputs.

Investigation

The operation is the result of an investigation conducted by law enforcement agencies, which relied on technical support from Seapi to locate and correctly identify the products. The participation of agricultural inspectors was considered essential to the operation's success.

According to the head of the Agricultural Inputs and Services Division of the DDA/Seapi, Rafael Friedrich de Lima, the inspectors were decisive, both in detecting the structure used to hide the products and in identifying the agrochemicals, allowing the investigations to advance.

“This action demonstrates the importance of integration between public agencies in combating the illegal use and sale of pesticides,” Lima emphasized.

Penalties

Those responsible for the property will be charged with illegally storing pesticides, an offense that can result in a fine of up to R$18. Other penalties may also apply for the use of pesticides without a technical prescription and application that does not comply with label instructions.

Seapi reinforces that pesticides should be purchased exclusively from registered establishments and with an agronomic prescription issued by a legally qualified professional. Furthermore, empty packaging and leftover products must be disposed of in an environmentally sound manner through authorized collection points and centers.