Surat Police bust Rs.11.78 lakh fake cosmetics racket in Punagam; three arrested
Surat | Gujarat –– The city, already notorious for fake goods manufacturing, has witnessed yet another shocking case. After fake ghee and butter rackets, a fake cosmetics operation has...
Surat | Gujarat –– The city, already notorious for fake goods manufacturing, has witnessed yet another shocking case. After fake ghee and butter rackets, a fake cosmetics operation has now been busted in Surat. The Pune Police in collaboration with Zone 1 LCB (Local Crime Branch) conducted a major Surat fake cosmetics raid, seizing duplicate beauty products worth ₹11.78 lakh from a godown in the Punagam area.
Father and sons behind the fake cosmetics trade
According to police sources, a father and his two sons were running an online counterfeit business selling duplicate cosmetics under popular brand names. Acting on specific intelligence, police raided their godown and uncovered the entire operation.
The accused — Babu Uka Chauhan (54) and his sons Niral (27) and Siddharth (22) — used to procure cheap raw materials, fill them in bottles, and paste branded company stickers before selling them on major e-commerce platforms.
“They were manufacturing duplicate products in a godown and selling them through online marketplaces like Amazon, Flipkart, and Meesho,” a senior police officer told The Blunt Times.
Selling ₹10 items for ₹200 online
Investigations revealed that the gang used to produce fake creams, shampoos, and hair oils at a cost of merely ₹10 per item and sell them for over ₹200 by branding them as premium cosmetics. Police suspect the racket had been active for several months, earning huge profits by deceiving consumers online.
Punagam godown sealed; ₹11.78 lakh goods seized
The illegal business was operating from a godown in Rang Avdhut Society, Punagam, where duplicate cosmetics were being manufactured and packed. During the Surat fake cosmetics raid, police seized counterfeit items worth ₹11.78 lakh, including raw materials, packaging, and fake brand labels.
Authorities are now investigating whether the fake cosmetics were also supplied to other cities and are coordinating with e-commerce companies to trace online sales data.
