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Police seize Rs 95 lakh worth of fake products

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: The Economic Offences Wing of the Central Crime Branch (CCB) recently conducted a series of raids that led to the seizure of counterfeit products worth approximately Rs 95 lakh in the city limits.

Revealing the details of the raids and seizure, the Bengaluru Police Commissioner B Dayananda on Tuesday said that an operation was initiated following complaints from representatives of reputed companies, alleging fake products being sold in the market.

The city top said that the first raid targeted a warehouse in Wilson Garden's Vinayaknagar area, where authorities discovered fake products carrying labels of brands such as Surf Excel, Vim Liquid, Lifebuoy Hand Wash, Rin, Wheel Detergent Powder, Red Label Tea Powder, Three Roses, Lyzol, and Harpic.

"These counterfeit goods bore the names of major legitimate producers such as Hindustan Unilever Ltd. and Reckitt Benckiser India Limited, misleading consumers about their authenticity," the Police Commissioner said, adding that so far the police have arrested three accused in connection with the case.

The accused were identified as Shiv Patil, 40, Daulat Singh, 32, and Shubam, 21. As per the police, Patil was the mastermind behind the manufacturing operations of these counterfeit products while Singh, managed distribution.

The duo had been allegedly involved in this illicit business for the past five years.

The suspects are believed to have connections with another accused, Mahesh Gandhi, who had been earlier arrested by the police for his alleged involvement in similar illegal business.

This operation underscores a growing concern about the availability of counterfeit products in the market, posing serious risks to consumer safety and undermining the integrity of established brands.

Recently, the President of Authentication Solutions Providers’ Association (ASPA), Nakul Pasricha, shared a few steps for the consumers to follow while purchasing a product from the market.

1. Check if the product packaging is tampered and that the brand name has spelling mistakes or the date of manufacturing is intact.

2. Shop at reputable or trusted stores and dealers and take a bill for your purchase. Do not fall for saving a few bucks in the name of foregoing GST or applicable tax, you might be handed over a fake product if you are not making a legit purchase.

3. While shopping online, be careful to buy from authentic websites only, don’t fall for fly-by-night websites. Even after all this, if the customers discover a fake product, they can report the issue to the Ministry of Consumer Affairs or other sources.