In a breakthrough in a nearly two-year-old pesticide trade fraud case involving more than Rs 78 lakh, the Rajasthan Police have arrested an accused from Abohar.The accused, identified as Rajpal (28), a resident of Sayeed Wali village, was taken into custody and about Rs 4 lakh was recovered from him. After the recovery, he was produced before a court and subsequently sent to judicial custody.Police Inspector Prithvipal Singh said a case in this regard was registered on June 18, 2024, following a complaint by Ram Singh Nain and Mahendra Kumar Madan, directors of Bangad Insecticide Private Limited, Chandigarh.The complainants stated that their company operates a branch at Kisan Bhawan in the New Grain Market of Sriganganagar, where pesticides are traded. According to the complaint, the company began business with several parties from the Sriganganagar region during July-August 2023.Initially, the parties placed five orders for pesticides and made partial payments, building trust with the company. During this period, business worth about Rs 1.10 crore was conducted. However, the buyers paid only Rs 27 lakh, leaving an outstanding amount of nearly Rs 78 lakh.When repeated demands for payment went unanswered, the company directors conducted inquiries in the area and allegedly discovered that the parties were part of an organised gang.Police said the accused had opened firms in the names of other individuals using fake registrations and licences. The documents used for the transactions were allegedly forged, with the sole intention of procuring goods and evading payment.Investigators said the fraud was carried out in a well-planned manner. The gang initially gained the company’s confidence through small transactions before placing large orders. After receiving the goods, they allegedly stopped making payments and began issuing threats when asked to clear dues.Police described the case as an instance of organised fraud. Following Rajpal’s arrest and the recovery of Rs 4 lakh, the Sriganganagar police have intensified efforts to trace and arrest the remaining accused involved in the case.