Three held for sale of fake cosmetics

The Economic Offences Wing (EoW) of the Crime Branch have arrested three people, including a 55-year-old woman, for allegedly selling and stocking counterfeit cosmetic products.

The Economic Offences Wing (EoW) of the Crime Branch have arrested three people, including a 55-year-old woman, for allegedly selling and stocking counterfeit cosmetic products.

HT Image

With the arrests, the police claims to have unearthed a Delhi-based gang that manufactures and sells counterfeit cosmetic products of some of the reputed brands. The arrested have been identified as Sandeep Talwar (32), Sonia Gulati (55) and Moti Lal (50), all from Delhi.

The value of the recovered counterfeit cosmetic products has been estimated to be more than R20 lakh and the three accused were into the illegal business for past several years.

A senior EoW officer said that the racket was busted after a probe was carried into a complaint by the agency in relation to the illegal activity. The complainant said that a person stocks and sells counterfeit cosmetic products of Revlon from his shop in Ranibagh market. Accordingly, a team was sent to look into the matter.

The team conducted a raid at the said shop where Talwar was found in possession of cosmetic products with Revlon, Ponds and Dove trademarks.

A case was registered and Talwar was arrested. Further raids were conducted at A- 37, Vidya Vihar, Hastsal and Uttam Nagar, where Gulati, along with her accomplice Moti Lal, was found involved in manufacturing, packing and supplying counterfeit cosmetic products.

Huge quantity of empty packaging material along with two dye machines and blocks of Lakme and Dove Trademarks were recovered from their possession.