Idukki cardamom farmers allege multi-crore fraud by buyer; probe on

Adimali: Cardamom farmers in Idukki have alleged that they were cheated of crores of rupees by a buyer. The complaint involves a scheme where cardamom was collected from farmers, but payment was never made.

Farmers from the high-range region have filed complaints totalling approximately Rs 2.5 crore across 1,400 bills. The police have initiated an investigation into Muhammad Naseer from Palakkad in connection with the scam. With additional complaints anticipated, the total amount of the fraud is expected to exceed Rs 18 crore.

The Adimali police station has received 32 complaints, and complaints have also been filed at the Vellathooval station. Naseer’s Collection Center, named Muhammad Naseer Collection Center, began operations in Adimali in October. The collection was registered under N. Green, a company based in Ernakulam. It employed around fifty workers and promised farmers higher payments— Rs 500 to Rs 1,000 more per kilogram of cardamom than the market rate—if the cardamom was delivered within a month.

Most victims are farmers from Adimali, Konnathadi, Rajakkad, and Rajakumari. For the first two months, the farmers were paid as promised. Since the offered price was higher than the market rate, farmers began delivering large quantities of cardamom to the centre. However, later on, they only received paper receipts and were told to return with these receipts to get paid. The police are facing difficulties as they cannot file a case based solely on these receipts.

Cardamom was last collected from farmers in June and July. After that, Muhammad Naseer disappeared. Some checks given to farmers returned unpaid. Mediation talks are ongoing to recover funds for major losses, with some farmers having received partial payments through foreign accounts.

Fr. Sebastian Kochupurackal, the vicar of St. George Forane Church in Parathode, has requested a central agency investigation into the widespread fraud affecting the farmers.