The city crime branch arrested five people for allegedly selling duplicate cosmetic products of branded companies. The accused, who runs cosmetic shops in a mall in Malad, were allegedly selling the duplicate products by luring customers with discounts, said the police. Products worth Rs 24 lakh have been seized during the raid.
According to the police officials, they received information that a couple of shops in a shopping mall in Malad were indulged in selling duplicate cosmetic produce of a leading brand. The shopkeepers offered huge discount offers on these products to lure customers.
Acting on the information, a team from crime branch unit 8 and the company officials conducted a raid on Thursday at Crystal Plaza in Malad. During the raid, it was revealed that the accused were selling duplicate products. "The packaging of the duplicate products was similar to the genuine products, as a reason it was difficult to differentiate between original and duplicate, said the police. From the shops, police seized duplicate cosmetic products worth Rs 24 lakh.
Following the raid, police arrested the five shopkeepers identified as Bhavesh Karia (41), Tushar Shigvan (40), Ishwar Aahir (31), Hardip Chimanlal Rajdev (56) and Dinesh Gehlot (27). They were booked for cheating and forgery along with the Copy Rights Act and Trade Mark Act. During the investigation, the accused claimed that the products were manufactured in China and brought here.
The accused were produced before the court on Thursday, which remanded them to police custody till February 10, said the police.
