Surat: Kamrej police have uncovered a major racket involving the manufacturing and sale of counterfeit branded shampoos. The operation came to light after police raided a warehouse in Navagam, located in Kamrej taluka, and seized a large stock of fake shampoo. The accused has been arrested, and authorities are now investigating the possible involvement of other individuals in the scam.
Acting on a confidential tip-off, police raided a warehouse located in Section 1 of Navkar Industries in Navagam, suspecting the storage of counterfeit shampoo. Upon opening the shutter, officers were shocked to find a significant stockpile of shampoo falsely labeled under the popular brand 'Head & Shoulders'.
Mukund Hasmukhbhai Mavani, who was present at the scene, failed to produce any valid license related to the manufacturing or sale of the products. Further inspection revealed that the bottles lacked any authorized markings or official seals.
Police confiscated counterfeit shampoo worth Rs 49.76 lakh from the warehouse. The seized goods included 4,115 bottles labeled with 'Head & Shoulders' stickers, 30 unlabeled bottles, and another 50 miscellaneous containers. The accused, Mukund Hasmukh Mavani, has been taken into custody.
Preliminary interrogation revealed that the accused had set up a fake shampoo manufacturing unit in Surat city and attempted to sell these products on online platforms like Flipkart. After failing to achieve success in online sales, he rented the warehouse in Navagam and planned to distribute the fake products in bulk to wholesale buyers. However, police intervention disrupted the operation before it could reach the wholesale market.
Authorities are now conducting a thorough investigation to determine how long the operation has been active, how many people may have unknowingly purchased the fake shampoo, and whether more individuals are involved in the racket.
This incident once again highlights the challenge consumers face in distinguishing between genuine and counterfeit products, especially in the context of online shopping.
