Pilibhit: Five traders have been charged for allegedly selling counterfeit cosmetic and cleaning products of leading brands following a joint raid conducted by a private intelligence team and local police on Wednesday evening.
Operation Details
Acting on a tip-off, the Bihar-based Alfa Intelligence Service, led by research officer Sanjeet Kumar Paswan, carried out coordinated searches at multiple shops across the city. “During the operation, large quantities of suspected counterfeit goods were seized after the shop owners—Ayush Agarwal, Kashif Bakhsh, Pradeep Kumar (1), Pradeep Kumar (2), and Mukesh Babu—failed to produce valid purchase documents,” said Kotwali police station SHO Satyendra Kumar.
Investigation Underway
Police said efforts are underway to trace the manufacturing units behind the products and identify their supply chain. Based on Paswan’s complaint, an FIR was registered under sections 63 and 65 of the Copyright (Amendment) Act, 1957, and sections 103 and 104 of the Trademark Act, 1999. SHO Kumar further stated that samples of the seized products have been sent for laboratory testing to confirm their authenticity.
The raid underscores the ongoing battle against counterfeit goods in the region, which not only harm legitimate businesses but also pose potential risks to consumers. Authorities are expected to take further action once the test results are available.
